Working women expect to be treated fairly during while pregnant and do not see their condition as a hindrance to an employer. With their family growing, some women even try to seek higher paying and/or full-time positions within a company. Texas women who are denied an opportunity to advance because they are pregnant may have a viable discrimination claim.
A woman who worked as a library monitor in another state claims that she was held back from receiving a full-time position because she was pregnant. The plaintiff began working for the library part time in 2011. In 2014, she sought a full time position, but her request was declined.
The mayor who was also a trustee on the library board allegedly said in a meeting that he feared the plaintiff’s pregnancy would put her onto a family medical plan. This plan could cost the employer $27,000. He is also accused of saying that if the plaintiff were to be promoted to full-time, her position would be wasted once her pregnancy leave became effective.
The library board apparently wanted to plaintiff to be promoted, but the meeting was adjourned without further action taken. The woman filed a discrimination claim against the library board and the township, and the litigation was ultimately settled in her favor. She was promoted from a part-time monitor to part-time assistant, was paid a year’s worth of back wages and was awarded $5,500 to cover her legal fees. The township maintains that although it has agreed to the settlement, it did not do anything wrong. It is illegal for Texas employees to discriminate against women who are pregnant, and those who feel victimized can choose to seek justice by pursuing legal redress.
Source: nj.com, “Pregnant library worker denied promotion settles discrimination lawsuit“, Jeff Goldman, July 20, 2015
