Foolish CEO quips, fishy termination mean pregnancy case will go to trial
A (not so) perfect cluster. Happy new year, everybody. During the holidays, a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled that an employee’s pregnancy discrimination claim will go to a jury. The plaintiff (we’ll call her “Katy”) was a vice president of operations and had been with the employer in that and other capacities for 20 years. Apparently she got good reviews, promotion to VP, an incentive bonus, and all was swell. In April 2019, Katy began in vitro fertilization treatment that failed. She let the Chief Executive Officer (we’ll call him “Biff”) know about it. She apparently had another IVF procedure that same year. That also failed. Biff seems to have been supportive, and made some accommodations to her during this time. Then, in December 2019, Katy decided to give the IVF a third go. She told Biff that this time, she and her husband were going to use an egg donor and “that she would be undergoing another procedure in January 2020.” Two members of Katy's work team ...