Kurt Bluemel Inc. Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit for $40,000
Kurt Bluemel, Inc., a plant nursery based in Baldwin, Maryland, has agreed to pay $40,000 and implement significant remedial measures to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit alleged that the company terminated a pregnant employee, violating federal anti-discrimination laws.
The EEOC's lawsuit stated that the employee, who had been with Kurt Bluemel since 2017, requested maternity leave in September 2023, planning to return to work after giving birth. However, when she attempted to return in December 2023, she was informed that no work was available, despite the company hiring new, non-pregnant employees during that period.
This conduct was deemed a violation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy. The EEOC filed the lawsuit (EEOC v. Kurt Bluemel, Case No. 24-cv-02816-JKB) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after unsuccessful pre-litigation settlement attempts.
The settlement includes a two-year consent decree that prohibits Kurt Bluemel from discriminating against employees based on pregnancy. The company must implement and disseminate a policy against pregnancy discrimination and provide training to all supervisors, managers, and employees on this policy and the requirements of Title VII and the PWFA. Additionally, the company will post a remedial notice about the settlement.
Debra M. Lawrence, EEOC Philadelphia Regional Attorney, emphasized the importance of the PWFA in ensuring pregnant women can continue to work and earn a living. She affirmed the EEOC's commitment to enforcing this vital federal law.
They sure got knocked up there ....
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