HOUSTON – A Shipley Do-Nuts location in Katy has paid $45,000 to a woman involved in a discrimination lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Tuesday.
The lawsuit accused the owner and general manager of the Shipley store of forcing Brooke S. Foley to take an unpaid leave when she received information that Foley might be pregnant. Officials said Foley wasn't allowed to continue working unless she provided a doctor's statement indicating that her pregnancy was not high risk. Foley was fired for not providing the documentation.
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"No woman should have to choose between motherhood and her livelihood," said EEOC senior trial attorney Connie Wilhite, who wa in charge of litigating the case. "EEOC will step in to enforce the law and defend the rights of pregnant workers."
"The Supreme Court decided many years ago that a pregnant employee is solely responsible for making decisions that affect her ability to continue her job, and any duties associated with her job," EEOC regional attorney Jim Sacher said in a statement. "An employer that imposes its own personal beliefs and concerns about an employee's pregnancy violates federal law and invites legal action."