Wild Beaver Saloon To Pay $45,000 To Settle EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit
Indianapolis Bar Fired Bartender/Server Because She Was Pregnant, Federal Agency Charged
INDIANAPOLIS – The Wild Beaver Saloon in Indianapolis will pay $45,000 and furnish other relief to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
According to the EEOC's lawsuit, EEOC v. WBS Broad Ripple, Inc., d/b/a Wild Beaver Saloon, Civil Action No. 1:11-cv-00373-TWP-DML, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, the bar fired a bartender/server because she was pregnant.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
The company agreed to pay $45,000, mainly in compensatory and punitive damages, to the former employee. The EEOC also charged that the company failed to post the required EEO poster on its premises. To settle that allegation the company agreed to pay a fine of $100 to the federal government.
"We are satisfied, based on the amount of the settlement, that the Wild Beaver Saloon recognizes that it violated the law by terminating an employee solely because she was pregnant," said Laurie A. Young, regional attorney of the Indianapolis District Office. "We are confident that this company will not make this mistake again."
EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.