Fired For Being Pregnant: Denver Law Firm Settles For $30K

DENVER, CO – A Colorado law firm has agreed to pay $30,000 and change their hiring practices to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

A female legal assistant filed a complaint with the EEOC after being employed by Denver offices of the Bendinelli Law Firm for only 10 days, the EEOC said Thursday. After being hired in January of 2017, she told a partner at the firm that she was pregnant, the suit said. She was fired the next day. She was also asked discriminating questions by members of the firm, such as whether her pregnancy caused any medical issues, and whether she planned to "keep the baby" and whether she was acting as a surrogate, the suit said.

The EEOC rejected the Bendinelli's lawyers' explanation that the firm had fired her because she failed to disclose her pregnancy in the interview, a move the EEOC challenged as "unlawful and discriminatory," a press release said.

The firm agreed to pay $30,000 to the former legal assistant. Also, the firm is required to provide employee training on pregnancy discrimination and post public notices at each office describing employee rights under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"We want job applicants to know that they do not have to tell prospective employers that they are pregnant or answer any questions about it," said Elizabeth Cadle, district director for the EEOC's Phoenix district.

According to its website, the Bendinelli Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with office locations in Denver, Westminster and Fort Collins.

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