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Article

17 Jul 2019

Author:
Brianna Smith, Legal Reader (USA)

USA: Party City settles pregnancy & disability discrimination lawsuit for $39 000

"Party City Settles Pregnancy and Disability Discrimination Lawsuit for $39K", 12 Jul 2019

arty City Corporation recently agreed to settle a pregnancy and disability lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The suit was filed earlier this year on behalf of Jahneiss Groce, and the settlement will provide $39,000 in lost wages, damages, and other relief after she was terminated for her pregnancy and pregnancy-related medical condition.

According to the lawsuit, Groce was working as at Party City when she fell pregnant. However, during her pregnancy, she developed a pregnancy-related medical condition and sought medical care. As a result, she went to her management team and asked for a reasonable accommodation due to her condition. From there, her store’s management “conveyed the request to Party City’s human resources department,” though after “obtaining additional medical information, Party City denied Groce’s request and terminated her employment on Feb. 1, 2016.”

After investigating the matter, the EEOC determined she was terminated less than one year after being hired because she was pregnant and had a disability. As a result, the agency argued the retailer’s actions not only violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 but also the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Prior to filing the suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, the agency tried to reach a pre-litigation settlement via its conciliation process. However, Party City denied the allegations and the EEOC filed their lawsuit...