Top Ten Wackiest Employment Cases: #7
As part of our ongoing commitment to providing our loyal viewers with the finest in employment law education, we’re counting down our Top Ten Wackiest Employment Law Cases.
Here’s #7 . . .
MATERNITY COMPANY SUED FOR PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION
In what has to rank as the least likely pregnancy discrimination lawsuit of all time, Motherhood Maternity, Inc. paid $375,000 to settle claims that it discriminated against multiple pregnant women.
The plaintiffs alleged that Motherhood Maternity – a company that operates stores specializing in clothing for pregnant women — refused to hire three applicants because they were pregnant. To compound matters, the company also allegedly fired an assistant manager the company thought was pregnant after she complained about the discrimination.
Ironically, the company was started by a pregnant woman, Rebecca Matthias. “Our business revolves around serving the apparel needs of pregnant women and we encourage having team members who are also pregnant and can provide firsthand product knowledge to our customers,” said Matthias.
Apparently, there was a bit of a gap between the company’s mission and reality.
As part of the settlement, the company agreed to pay the assistant manager $135,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, $50,000 in backpay and $130,000 for attorneys’ fees. The company also agreed to pay the three applicants $20,000 each in compensatory damages. In addition, the court ordered the company to incorporate pregnancy sensitivity into its EEO policies and to train all employees on the evils of pregnancy discrimination.
