Director Allegedly Calls Pregnant Employee “Trouble” and Terminates Her

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Employee Files Lawsuit against Susquehanna Valley Nursing and Rehab Center for Pregnancy Discrimination

Courtney started at Susquehanna Valley Nursing and Rehab Center as the Director of Staff Development in October 2016. Five months later, she accepted a promotion to Director of Admissions. At the end of June 2017, Courtney was called into a meeting with the director of nursing and another consultant. Courtney shared that she was accused of making rude comments to employees. She denied the accusation.

But then, the director of nursing reached out and placed a hand on Courtney’s stomach, allegedly exclaiming, “She’s pregnant!” Courtney recalled that after the meeting, this same director again touched her stomach and made a comment saying “maybe this is all too much for you.” In response, Courtney asked the director to refrain from touching her.

After these incidents, Courtney noted that she was disciplined for things she didn’t do. In fact, she shared that she was chastised for not coming in to work on July 4th, but she recalled that she was told that it was a holiday. Two days after the meeting, Courtney felt unwell so she requested to leave work early. Her supervising director told her to bring a doctor’s note, and Courtney returned with a doctor’s note. The note excused Courtney from work for “nausea/vomiting and pregnancy.”

The director allegedly informed Courtney that she had all “those hormones inside coming out” and that she was “not a good fit” for the job so she would be terminated.The director allegedly informed Courtney that she had all “those hormones inside coming out” and that she was “not a good fit” for the job so she would be terminated. Courtney pressed her director for the reason for her termination, and according to Courtney, the director told her “you are trouble” and that she didn’t need to provide further explanation. When Courtney received the termination letter, it stated that she was fired for missing work on July 4.

Courtney suspects she was fired due to her pregnancy since she had been previously told that July 4 was a holiday. Now a client of KM&A, Courtney is standing up for her employee rights under the law. KM&A challenges employers who terminate employees like Courtney due to their pregnancy.

 

Full text of this complaint, as filed with the District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, is available at docket no: 1:18-cv-00115-SHR

Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC is an employment law firm with principal offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, serving all counties in Pennsylvania, focusing on employment law, business law, litigation, and civil issues. KM&A clients include employees, small businesses, parties in litigation, and people with a variety of legal issues.

For more information about this case, contact Attorney Michelle Dempsky at 215-475-3567 or at md@lawkm.com.

NOTICE: All information contained in this statement comes from the Complaint which has been filed as a public record with the court. As dedicated civil rights attorneys, we strongly believe in the public value of telling our clients’ stories: violators can be held accountable, and other silent victims can feel empowered to stand up for their legal rights. Although we make every attempt to verify our clients’ claims, note that the defendant is expected to oppose our client’s position, and the court has not ruled one way or the other as of the date of this statement.