Gibbsboro-based firm, Friedman Realty Group Inc., is being sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for an alleged pattern of firing employees who became pregnant. The EEOC was unable to reach a settlement with the defendant and subsequently filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Camden. Employment discrimination based on a woman’s pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy related medical conditions is prohibited on the federal level by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and also by Pennsylvania and New Jersey state laws.
Friedman Realty Group is a family-owned business that deals in commercial properties. It owns and manages office buildings, shopping centers and apartment complexes. According to the complaint, at least three Friedman employees were fired shortly after giving notice that they were pregnant. A spokesman for Friedman denied the claims and said that fairness, diversity and inclusion are deeply rooted corporate values held by the firm.
One of the plaintiffs in the suit is a former leasing agent for the Friedman office in Prospect Park. She alleges that after announcing she was pregnant, her supervisor made derogatory remarks about pregnant women including a comment that pregnancy “makes you retarded.” She was also assigned more demanding work and then subjected to unwarranted additional scrutiny. Five months later she was terminated.
Another employee who worked as a cleaner for the Prospect Park office was fired only three days after announcing her pregnancy. She had worked there for three years, but after divulging her pregnancy to the same supervisor, she was immediately given a bad performance review and let go.
A leasing consultant working in the Somers Point, NJ office informed the company in January that she was pregnant. According to the lawsuit, two months later in March her position was advertised and the next month she was let go.
Seeking Compensation
Victims of employment discrimination may be entitled to recover back pay, compensatory and punitive damages. In this case, the women were fired exactly at the point where they were the most in need of financial stability, namely as they prepared to start a family. The EEOC district director has argued that society as a whole suffers when an employer denies hard-working women their salaries. Besides compensation for the women, the EEOC seeks a court order to bar the Friedman Realty Group from any future discrimination against pregnant employees and to make amends for its past and present violations of the law.
Marlton Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers at McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C. Fight for the Rights of Pregnant Employees
If you feel you have experienced pregnancy discrimination at your job, consult a skilled Marlton pregnancy discrimination lawyer at McOmber McOmber & Luber, P.C.. We will review your case free of charge and counsel you on your legal options. Call 856-985-9800 today to schedule an appointment in our Marlton office. You can also contact us online. We serve clients across New Jersey from our offices in Marlton, Newark and Red Bank.