Employment Law News

Justice Department Settles Employment Discrimination Lawsuit

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the City of Ville Platte, La., to resolve allegations that the city engaged in discriminatory hiring practices on the basis of sex by refusing full-time employment to a pregnant dispatcher in the city’s police department.

In addition to reaching the settlement agreement, the Justice Department also filed a complaint, specifically alleging that Ville Platte violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating in employment on the basis of sex when it failed or refused to employ a pregnant applicant as a full-time police dispatcher—instead, employing her only as a part-time dispatcher for the duration of the pregnancy. The complaint was filed in federal district court in the Western District of Louisiana. Pending court approval, the settlement will be filed in the same court.

“Women are entitled to equal employment opportunities and should not be denied full-time employment simply because they happen to be pregnant,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “We are pleased that the City has voluntarily agreed to resolve the matter and to adopt policies and procedures that reflect Title VII’s requirements.” Read more at usdoj.gov.

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	Did You Know?
	Laws prohibit the termination of an employee in retaliation for filing a workers compensation claim The Workers’ Compensation statute in one state, NJSA 34:15-39.1 only prohibits the termination of an employee in retaliation for filing a workers compensation claim or for testifying at a workers’ compensation hearing. If you feel you were terminated for these reasons, one alternative is the filing of a discrimination complaint against your employer with the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Then contact our lawyers.