The United States Supreme Court made it easier for pregnant workers to prove discrimination cases, ruling for the plaintiff in Peggy Young vs. United Parcel Service on March 25, 2015. Ms. Young was a driver for UPS who, after becoming pregnant, had a lifting restriction imposed by her physician. UPS refused to accommodate her restriction, and Ms. Young filed suit. The trial court had dismissed Ms. Young’s case before trial, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that dismissal. Ms. Young then appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court analyzed the provision of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act that reads, “women affected by pregnancy . . . shall be treated the same for all employment-related purposes . . . as other persons not so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work.” Ms. Young was able to show that she was treated differently from other drivers unable to do their jobs for various reasons, such as suffering a workplace injury, having a non-work related disability, or losing their Department of Transportation certification. The Court held that this was enough evidence to entitle Ms. Young to trial, and they reversed the dismissal of her case, finding that the lower courts failed to effectuate Congress’ intent when it passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.
The attorneys at NachtLaw are experienced in pregnancy discrimination cases. David Nacht recently won an important decision in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, on behalf of our client Jennifer Latowski, who alleged pregnancy discrimination when she was terminated from her job as a certified nurse’s assistant. Her case was “stayed” pending the Supreme Court’s decision in Peggy Young’s case, which has now paved the way for Ms. Latowski – and other workers facing pregnancy discrimination – to make it easier to prove their claims.
Read more in The New York Times article UPS Worker’s Pregnancy Discrimination Suit Reinstated by Supreme Court