LAWRENCE (CBS) – Two Catholic school teachers in Lawrence have been fired after announcing they’re expecting a baby out of wedlock.

Sean Houlihan and Natalie Ferland told the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune they were both terminated from Lawrence Catholic Academy just before Thanksgiving for violating their contracts.

The couple has been dating since March. Ferland found out she was pregnant in October, so she and Houlihan got engaged.

But that wasn’t enough for the school administration. They would not comment Monday, but the Archdiocese of Boston issued this statement to WBZ-TV:

“Lawrence Catholic Academy is committed to providing a Catholic faith-based education as part of an exceptional overall academic experience. Our teachers sign an agreement to adhere to the teachings and principles of the Catholic Church, among many other criteria essential for employment. When that contract is violated it is the school’s responsibility to make a determination as to whether a member of the staff can remain based on the facts of the matter. This is important so as to be consistent in following the school’s responsibility to live by the core principles of a Catholic education.”

Houlihan and Ferland both lost their health insurance because they’ve been fired.

They say they don’t want their jobs back. They just want their terminations to be scrapped from their professional records so they can find teaching jobs somewhere else.

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON

[display-posts category=”local” wrapper=”ul” posts_per_page=”4?”]