On behalf of an unmarried, pregnant teacher, the New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal discrimination complaint against a Catholic school. The NYCLU contends the school unlawfully fired the teacher because of her pregnancy situation.

"I don't understand how a religion that prides itself on forgiving and on valuing life could terminate me because I'm pregnant and choosing to have this baby," Michelle McCusker said Monday at a news conference announcing the suit.

The 26-year-old preschool teacher was fired last month from St. Rose of Lima in Queens. The Diocese of Brooklyn is also named in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint.

"This is a difficult situation for every person involved, but the school had no choice but to follow the principles contained in the teachers' personnel handbook," diocese spokesman Frank DeRosa said in a statement.

According to the handbook, each teacher must "convey the teachings of the Catholic faith by his or her words and actions."

Lawyers at the NYCLU argue that administrators enforced the policy in a way that disproportionately affects women.

"The school used her pregnancy as a marker," attorney Cassandra Stubbs said. "How do they determine if male employees engage in premarital sex?"