PROVIDENCE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island is suing cleaning company Merry Maids of East Providence for violating the state’s Civil Rights Act after the company fired a newly hired employee after learning she was pregnant.
According to the complaint filed in R.I. Superior Court on Monday, Bristol resident Julia Schultz was 16 weeks pregnant when she interviewed for a position of house cleaner with Merry Maids manager Deborah Bellamy-Goslin. Schultz wore a baggy dress to the interview to conceal her pregnancy and was offered the position a week later.
When Schultz arrived for an orientation program wearing a T-shirt and jeans, she was escorted to the break room while Bellamy-Goslin made some phone calls. Bellamy-Goslin returned to the break room and asked Schultz if she was pregnant. Schultz confirmed she was and Bellamy-Goslin said that she couldn’t offer her the job “because of the physical demands.” Bellamy-Goslin went on to say she ‘should be at home taking care of that special gift from God’ or words to that effect,” and that she could reapply for the job after the birth of the baby, according to the lawsuit.
“When I left the building that day, I felt so ashamed, like I was doing something wrong by trying to work while pregnant. In a setting where women are expected to do it all, it’s absolutely wrong that any woman should be shamed and prevented from doing what she needs to do for her child.” Schultz said.
The lawsuit seeks a court order finding the company’s conduct unlawful, reinstating Schultz to the position for which she had been hired, issuing an injunction to bar the company from engaging in similar acts of discrimination, and awarding Schultz monetary damages for pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages, for the violation of her rights.
“This lawsuit is a stark reminder that pregnancy discrimination, based on long-outdated notions of what a pregnant woman like Ms. Schultz can do in the workplace, remains an undeniable reality in the employment setting,” ACLU of R.I Executive Director Steven Brown said. “Old stereotypes die hard, but we hope that this suit will serve as an alert that remedies are available to those who encounter this type of invidious discrimination in employment.”
Merry Maids did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
