Pregnancy Discrimination is Illegal

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has settled a lawsuit that it filed against a security company that allegedly terminated one of its employees due to her pregnancy.  The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that Allied Universal transferred one of its security guards to a more difficult post after it learned that she was pregnant.  The security guard told Allied Universal that this new post was causing her pain.  In response, Allied Universal did not move the employee back to her original post but instead requested a doctor’s note. The employee provided Allied Universal with the note, and Allied placed the employee on a leave of absence involuntarily.  Allied then demanded another doctor’s note in order to release her to return to work.  Again, the security guard provided this note.  Despite this, Allied kept the employee on leave for more than a month and then terminated her employment.  This alleged conduct is a violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act Amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  See EEOC v. U.S. Security Associates, Inc., No. 2:20-cv-02467 (E.D. La.).