A doctor examines an ultrasound image displayed on a monitor during a prenatal scan.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A Pennsylvania private school that thought its kindergarten teacher was biologically male was shocked to find out he was pregnant and retaliated against him, a recent federal lawsuit says.
Drew Zelikman, a transgender man, sued The Goddard School in Lehigh County on Oct. 9, alleging the school’s treatment of him “changed immediately” upon being told he was pregnant in September 2025.
“After Defendant learned that Plaintiff was both transgender and pregnant, however, the workplace atmosphere changed markedly,” the lawsuit says.
“Plaintiff experienced coldness and alienation, encountered resistance when requesting basic pregnancy-related accommodations, and received conflicting and troubling instructions concerning whether he should disclose his pregnancy to others.”
Zelikman was only a month into his tenure at The Goddard School when he revealed his pregnancy, which later became high-risk and caused him to take medical leave from the job. Immediately after his disclosure, he says he was denied bathroom breaks while other employees were “permitted routine bathroom access without being subjected to comparable resistance or delay.”
Management allegedly encouraged Zelikman to not tell others about his pregnancy “right now” and told him his job would be waiting for him after childbirth. He sent a birth announcement on Nov. 20.
His status afterward was “unpaid maternity leave,” and when he tried to return to work in January, he was allegedly told his position had been filled. Zelikman says his replacement was neither transgender nor pregnant.
Also, despite earlier encouragement for Zelikman to seek Goddard-affiliated childcare, the school informed him there would be no opening for his newborn, the suit says.
The lawsuit makes claims for sex discrimination, pregnancy discrimination and violations of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Zelikman seeks reinstatement and backpay, damages for emotional distress and punitive damages.
He also asks for an injunction that would require Goddard to adopt policies prohibiting discrimination. Joseph Leeson III of Leeson & Leeson in Bethlehem represents Zelikman.
