EEOC settles pregnancy bias lawsuit in San Diego

Tarr & Zenith, a defunct dietary supplement company in San Diego, has agreed to settle charges it discriminated against two pregnant workers.

In the initial case, a former employee of the company filed a complaint with the EEOC after she was fired days after telling her superiors she was expecting.

A subsequent EEOC investigation also concluded the company had refused to rehire another employee when her maternity leave ended.

Attempts to resolve the disputes through the EEOC’s conciliation process failed, and the EEOC sued on behalf of the two former employees. Tarr & Zenith elected to settle the suit rather than have it proceed to court.

Although the company claims no longer to be in business, Tarr & Zenith agreed to pay the two women $50,000. Company principals will be subject to the terms of the settlement’s consent decree should they open a new business.

Note: Treating employees differently because of pregnancy or their desire to become pregnant violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

All supervisory personnel responsible for making hiring and firing decisions should be trained on the PDA’s requirements.