Illegal Pregnancy Discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has settled a lawsuit alleging pregnancy discrimination with an apparel company, R. Siskind & Co., in exchange for $50,000 and implementation of other anti-discrimination policies.  The EEOC had filed a lawsuit alleging that Siskind fired an employee because of her pregnancy and emergency caesarean section.  After the employee attempted to return to work, the employer provided her with pretextual reasons to deny her return to work and informed her that she no longer had a position with the company when she attempted to return.  Employers may not discriminate against employees on the basis of an employee’s pregnancy and related medical conditions.  Such discrimination would violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.  See EEOC v. R. Siskind & Co., No. 17-cv-5175 (S.D.N.Y.).