A former barista of Starbucks Corp. in California recently claimed that she was fired because she was pregnant and also because she is black. As a result, she has filed a lawsuit against the coffee shop. Anyone in the Bay Area who feels that she has been a victim of pregnancy discrimination has the right to seek justice through the civil court system.
According to the lawsuit, Starbucks hired the woman to work at a Los Angeles shop back in February 2016. However, her manager reportedly accused her of not performing her work quickly enough. The woman was also accused of not being welcoming and warm toward customers. The plaintiff further asserted that the manager commented negatively about her bald head and her facial expressions.
The alleged race-based discrimination only continued after the employee become pregnant that spring. However, according to the suit, the coffee shop’s management ignored the woman’s complaints. Instead, they reportedly issued her reprimands, accused her of being insubordinate, reduced her work hours and denied her overtime. The woman ended up being terminated after submitting maternity leave paperwork.
In her lawsuit alleging race and pregnancy discrimination as well as wrongful termination, the woman is seeking unspecified amounts of punitive and compensatory damages. Unfortunately, some employers in the Bay Area and other parts of the state or country mistreat workers who are pregnant rather than accommodating them in the workplace. This is grounds for litigation considering the fact that such behavior is illegal. An understanding of what specific facts need to be proved will likely be critical to prevail in this type of case in California.
Source: mynewsla.com, “Starbucks Sued for Alleged Race, Pregnancy Discrimination“, April 16, 2018