EEOC Sues Office Concepts for Pregnancy Discrimination

Fort Wayne Office Product and Service Store Fired Employee After She Announced Her Pregnancy, Federal Agency Charges

INDIANAPOLIS - Office Concepts, Inc., a Fort Wayne, Ind., business which provides machines, supplies and service to customers in northern Indiana and northwestern Ohio, unlawfully discriminated against an employee by firing her because of her pregnancy, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed September 23.

According to the EEOC's suit, Office Concepts fired Lynsey Burd after she informed her manager of her pregnancy. Burd's final task was to train her replacement, an office employee Office Concepts hired only in anticipation of Burd's departure. Immediately after firing Burd, Office Concepts hired another new employee. Neither new employee was pregnant.

Pregnancy discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The EEOC filed suit (Civil Action No.1:14-cv-290) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana after trying to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

"To deny a woman employment because she is pregnant places her and her family in a position of immeasurable harm," said Laurie A. Young, EEOC regional attorney for the Indianapolis District Office. "Women employees have the right to work in an environment free of bias and adverse actions because of their pregnancy. The EEOC continues, with this suit, to seek vigorous enforcement of the laws that protect all women from this kind of discrimination."

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.