Thread by @1gillianfrank1

Elizabeth Warren's (@ewarren) experience of being fired for being pregnant is terrible. But it was also a common experience in the United States.

A short thread of news clippings about women fired for being pregnant.
1. Asbury Park Press (NJ) 26 March 72.

2. Lancaster Eagle Gazette (Pennsylvania) 22 Oct 72

3. Winston County (Mississippi) 16 Feb 79.

The column itself speaks to both new legal protections for pregnant women and the fact that women were still regularly fired for being pregnant.

4. Wisconsin State Journal 20 June 71

5. Beckley Post Herald (WVA) 20 Oct 71

The fact that this issue had to be litigated speaks to the presence, if not the prevalence, of the practice of firing pregnant women. It also shows the period's changing legal and clashing cultural values around pregnancy.

Pregnant teachers faced special discrimination. It was believed pregnancy (w/ its associations with sex and sexuality) had no place in schools and around children. Pregnant teachers and students alike were removed from schools with regularity.
6. Waukesha WI 08 April 71

Equally, schools argued that pregnant teachers were unfit to teach because of their health needs, requirements for time off etc. and cited disruptions to teaching schedules.

7. Staunton (VA) News Leader, 20 April 71

I also want to spotlight the obvious. For every woman who litigated her case after being fired for being pregnant, there were countless others who left w/out a legal fight. Many shared their upset w/ families and friends. Others accepted this firing as normal and inevitable.

Finally, if you want to read more, check out these threads:

https://twitter.com/1gillianfrank1/status/1182108173672615941?s=20

https://twitter.com/1gillianfrank1/status/1182280858704719872?s=20