EDUC 525 L01

Learning Task 2

Option 1: Hypothetical Scenario

Melanie Belisle, Natalie Borchert, Teresa Cowan and Scott Lyons

University of Calgary

Increase in word count approved by Dr. Donlevy on October 31, 2017.

“Ms. Kay, an unmarried teacher at a Catholic school, tells another female teacher

at the same school, in confidence, that she is three months pregnant with the
Learning Task 2 Option 1: Hypothetical Scenario

principal’s child. All teachers and administrators at the school are Catholic. The

principal is married with two young children and unaware that she is pregnant.

The pregnancy is a result of a one night stand after the staff Christmas party

earlier that school year.

She is scheduled to have an abortion later this week and has not told anyone

else. The teacher is aware that it is clearly outlined in her contract that she is

required to live her life in a way that reflects Catholic values (i.e. no premarital

sex or abortions). She states that she is having an abortion because she is not

ready to become a mother. Furthermore, she fears losing her job and being

shunned by the community. The school is the only school located in a

conservative rural town of 800 people that strictly abides to Catholic values. The

community would not approve of a woman who has had an abortion, nor would

they approve of a pregnant unmarried woman, teaching their children.”

In light of the information Miss Kay divulged, it can be an ethical challenge to

determine whether the teacher should divulge the secret to her superiors or keep it in

confidence. To determine the best course of action for the teacher faced with this

hypothetical situation, three ethical approaches will be explored: the deontological

approach, the teleological approach and, finally, the postmodern approach.

Deontological Approach

Deontologists adhere to the rule that an action is morally right if it adheres to

certain ethical principles, rules, rights, duties or maxims (Donlevy & Walker, 2010, p.
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18). People who practice deontological ethics are often known as ‘whistle blowers’ for

their strong sense of duty to report.

Intrinsic to the deontological approach is the Kantian principle of categorical

imperative, a law of morality that all humans have a duty to obey. Kant’s first

formulation of this categorical imperative is as follows: “Act only on that maxim whereby

thou canst at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (Pratt, 2011).

Thus, without exception, principles guide the act, rather than the consequences.

From a Catholic perspective, a duty is owed to the unborn child. “In 1995, Pope

John Paul II declared [that abortion] always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it

is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being” (Catholic Answers, 2004). Thus, a

Catholic deontologist would take every measure, including divulging Miss Kay’s secret

to the principal, in an effort to save the unborn child. As a Catholic teacher, a duty is

also owed to the school and the community to uphold Catholic values. If parents

discovered that Ms. Kay was pregnant with the principal’s child or had ended the

pregnancy, it would be tremendous cause for concern.

A further consideration is that, as an employee of the school board, the teacher

has a responsibility to her employer. As “a professional, an employee is bound to

communicate any and all information that is certain to adversely affect the organization”

(Demars, 2016). As this scandal could certainly bring negative attention to the school

board, the teacher would be inclined to report the pregnancy, the intent to abort, and the

affair.

Furthermore, the Code of Professional Conduct (ATA, 2007) requires that

teachers criticize “the professional competence or professional reputation of another

Learning Task 2 Option 1: Hypothetical Scenario

teacher only in confidence to proper officials and after the other teacher has been

informed of the criticism”. This means that the teacher must advise Miss Kay of her

intention to divulge her secret before reporting her to both the principal and

superintendent.

In summary, by speaking to Miss Kay about her intention to report the incident,

the hypothetical teacher would effectively adhere to the deontological responsibility to

both the Catholic Church and the school board.

Teleological Approach

From a teleological perspective, “the decision-maker’s focus is upon the outcome

or consequences of his action or inaction” (Donlevy & Walker, 2010, p. 21). Thus, the

objective of this ethical perspective is to create the greatest amount of good while

mitigating the greatest amount of harm for all involved parties. In this scenario, if the

teacher keeps Ms. Kay’s secret, allowing her to have an abortion, there is the possibility

that the only harm would be towards the fetus. Thus, the teacher may be tempted to

think that students and community members are not harmed by information they do not

know.

If the teacher does not keep Ms. Kay’s secret, the negative consequences of

revealing the truth would be irreparable damage to the public images of Ms. Kay and

the principal, as well as the likely loss of their jobs. Moreover, the principal's’

relationship with his wife and children would be significantly strained, potentially

resulting in divorce and the end of their family unit. It is also possible that publicizing

the scandal might negatively reflect upon the school board itself.
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In considering the consequences of keeping Ms. Kay’s secret, it is important to

note ethicist Samuel Johnson’s belief that one cannot truly know what consequences

one’s actions may have (as per Beauchamp & Childress, 2001, p. 288). Thus, even if

the teacher were to maintain secrecy, it is still possible that the truth would come out at

a later date. This might result in an even greater scandal than immediate revelation, not

only harming Ms. Kay and the principal, but also the teacher and any others who might

be viewed as having helped conceal the secret, significantly damaging the school and

even the school board’s reputation and position of trust within the community.

As teleological ethics “does not consider the individual person’s hopes, fears, or

concerns” (Donlevey & Walker, 2010, p. 21), the best interests of the school and 800

community members outweigh those of Ms. Kay and the principal. While reporting this

situation to the superintendent would cause harm towards Ms. Kay and the principal,

and may also create negative publicity for the school board, there is far greater potential

damage to the school board and the teacher, as well as Ms. Kay and the principal - not

to mention the fetus - should the matter be concealed but then revealed at a later date.

Considering Section 18 of the Code of Professional Conduct, “The teacher acts

in a manner which maintains the honour and dignity of the profession” (ATA, 2007).

Weighing the options in this scenario, a teleological approach would result in reporting

Miss Kay’s secret to the superintendent, maintaining the school’s position of trust within

the community, thus creating the most amount of good while mitigating the greatest

degree of harm.

Postmodern Approach
Learning Task 2 Option 1: Hypothetical Scenario

Postmodern thinkers believe that every individual has the urge or impulse to act

ethically or morally (Donlevy & Walker, 2010, p. 23). Therefore, the postmodernists’

responsibility to act a certain way is not derived from a code, prescribed ethical values,

or principles, but from the very fact that they exist as human beings in relationships with

other individuals (Donlevy & Walker, 2010, p. 24).

The postmodern approach avoids analyzing whether or not someone should act;

rather, in making an ethical decision, the postmodernist acts “in human fashion, with

care” (Donlevy & Walker, 2010, p. 25). As an empathetic human being, a postmodernist

would feel obligated to help those who are socially disadvantaged and marginalized. In

the context of the hypothetical situation, as an unmarried pregnant teacher in a Catholic

school, Ms. Kay can certainly be deemed as being disadvantaged and at risk of being

marginalized.

As the unwavering application of moral codes does not appeal to the

postmodernist, any values espoused by the Catholic Church, the school, and the

community are of little importance. A postmodernist would treat Ms. Kay’s predicament

as a unique situation worthy of care and humanity. Since divulging Ms. Kay’s secret

would likely result in the dismissal and shunning of both her and the principal by the

community, it is apparent to the postmodernist that the secret must be kept.

Furthermore, treating people with care involves allowing them to exert their free will and

trusting that they will do what is best for them. Divulging Ms. Kay’s secret and exposing

her and the principal to the judgement and punishment of the community and school

board would not be acting in accordance with that belief.

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In summary, a postmodernist would not take any action; thus, the pregnancy,

abortion and affair would be kept a secret. The emphasis would be to treat Ms. Kay with

care and consideration, trusting that she will make decisions that are best for her.

Analysis

By analyzing the hypothetical scenario through three different lenses, it is

apparent that both the deontological and teleological methodologies lack a certain

degree of humanity. As the deontological approach strictly focuses on moral principles

and codes, it does not take into account the harm that may result from applying a “one-

size-fits-all” approach to unique situations. Similarly, because the teleological approach

is strictly analytical in weighing the benefit and harm, treating people as aggregates,

individuals’ thoughts and values are ignored. Although the deontological approach

focuses on sheer principle while the teleological approach focuses on the sum total

result, both approaches conclude that the hypothetical teacher must report Ms. Kay.

This blatant lack of humanity and compassion is addressed by the postmodern

approach that requires individuals to act as humans in relationships with other

individuals. Although this may seem like the most appropriate way to approach ethical

dilemmas in an empathetic way, postmodernism presumes that everyone is intrinsically

kind and humane. Since what is considered humane varies from one individual to the

next, and there are some individuals who may have no intention of being

compassionate towards others, applying a postmodern course may result in a variety of

supposed solutions within the same scenario. Thus, how one individual decides to act in
Learning Task 2 Option 1: Hypothetical Scenario

a given situation can be in total misalignment with how another would act in the same

scenario.

However, it is important to note that codes of conduct and the postmodern

approach are not mutually exclusive. The Code of Professional Conduct states that “the

teacher does not take, because of animosity or for personal advantage, any steps to

secure the dismissal of another teacher” (ATA, 2007) Thus, it is possible to treat others

with kindness while still adhering to a professional code.

Ultimately, none of the three ethical approaches appear sufficient to produce an

ideal outcome on their own. Ultimately, a balance must be drawn between following

moral codes, considering decisions that are best for the greatest number of people and,

finally, acting in a humane manner. As humans making ethical decisions, there will

never be a single, universal, and ideal way to respond to situations. Rather, individuals

do the best they can while recognizing that others’ ethical decisions may not align with

their own.
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References

Alberta Teacher’s Association. (2007). Code of professional conduct. Retrieved from:

https://www.teachers.ab.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/ATA/Publications/Teachers-as-

Professionals/IM-4E%20Code%20of%20Professional%20Conduct.pdf

Catholic Answers. (2004). Abortion. Retrieved from:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/abortion

Donlevy, J.K., Walker, K.W. (2010). Handout adapted from: Working through ethics in

Education: Two plays and ethical analysis. Sense Publications, Netherlands.

DeMitchell, T.A. (2011). “Immorality, teacher private conduct, and adverse notoriety: A

needed recalculation of nexus?” Journal of Law and Education, 40(2), 327-339.

Learning Task 2 Option 1: Hypothetical Scenario

Greenwell, A. (2012). Catholic social teaching: The family, gift and sanctuary of life.

Retrieved from: http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/family/story.php?id=44434

Pratt, B. (2011, November 14). What Would Kant Say About Abortion? Retrieved

November 01, 2017, from http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2011/11/15/what-

would-kant-say-about-abortion/

(n.d.). Retrieved November 01, 2017, from http://sevenpillarsinstitute.org/morality-

101/kantian-duty-based-deontological-ethics

Postmodern Ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 01, 2017, from

https://www.allaboutworldview.org/postmodern-ethics.htm