Amelia Springs to Pay $20,000 in EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

MIAMI – Florida Care ALF of Amelia Island, Inc., doing business as Amelia Springs Assisted Living, has agreed to pay $20,000 and furnish other relief to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, as soon as Amelia Springs Assisted Living management learned that one of their temporary staffers was pregnant, they refused to give her more shifts and fired her.   

Terminating an employee because of pregnancy violates the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Florida Care ALF of Amelia Island, Inc., Case No. 3:23-cv-01130) in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida after first attempting to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

In addition to $20,000 in damages, the three-year decree settling the suit requires Amelia Springs Assisted Living to amend its equal employment opportunity policy to protect pregnant employees; conduct training for the owner, managers, human resources personnel and employees on pregnancy discrimination and protections under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000gg); provide reports to the EEOC; and post notices. In addition, the company agreed to an injunction that prevents all employees from considering an employee’s pregnancy or ability to become pregnant in making employment decisions.

“This resolution makes clear that companies cannot discriminate against pregnant employees, including temporary staffers,” said Kristen Foslid, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District.  “Not only will the victim be provided with compensation, but the company has also agreed to reform its policies and conduct trainings on its more recent obligations under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.”

The EEOC’s Miami District Office director, Evangeline Hawthorne, said, “No woman should have to fear that pregnancy will lead to losing her job. Targeted EEO training will help ensure that future pregnant employees and staffers will be protected.”

For more information on pregnancy discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination. For more information on the PWFA, please visit What You Should Know About the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The EEOC’s Miami District Office is comprised of the Miami, Tampa and San Juan offices, and has jurisdiction over Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.