Dallas-based Greenhouse Outpatient Center and its parent company, American Addiction Centers, agreed to damages of $146,613 and provide other relief to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced.
The Dallas rehabilitation center had granted the pregnant employee, a behavioral health technician, a 30-day leave of absence for childbirth. After the employee delivered the baby by caesarean section, which requires abdominal surgery, the employee’s doctor indicated she needed eight weeks to recover before returning to work. Human Resources, however, told the employee her position could not be held open beyond the 30 days, and her employment was terminated, according to the suit. In contrast, the defendants had granted leave during the past 30 days to non-pregnant employees for reasons unrelated to pregnancy.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy in the workplace. In this case, the EEOC sought back pay, plus compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief, including an order barring similar violations in the future.
