Title VII lawsuit filed against Chicago Board of Ed.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Justice Department announced Tuesday it is filing a Title VII lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education for alleged discrimination against pregnant teachers.

The Justice Department alleges in its complaint that the board discriminated against pregnant teachers at Scammon Elementary School by taking adverse personnel actions, including termination, against female teachers after they announced their pregnancies.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against female employees due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that, starting in 2009, the principal at Scammon subjected pregnant female teachers to lower performance evaluations, discipline and threats of terminations. The complaint also alleges the board approved firing six recently-pregnant Scammon teachers and forced two others to leave.

The complaint seeks a court order requiring the board to develop and implement policies to prevent its employees from being subjected to pregnancy-related discrimination, as well as monetary compensation for the teachers who were allegedly harmed by the discrimination.

Chicago Public School spokesperson Bill McCaffrey responded to the suit, saying in a statement, "Chicago Public Schools is strongly committed to creating a workplace that values and respects all employees and will not tolerate the kind of discrimination or retaliation that is alleged to have taken place at Scammon Elementary school. Chicago Public Schools intends to defend against the suit and stands behind its commitment to its Comprehensive Non-Discrimination Policy and to the fair treatment of pregnant employees."

Read the full complaint here.