Lawsuit filed over pregnant guards on post

Lawsuit filed over pregnant guards on post

By John Milburn - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Sep 12, 2008 13:07:12 EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. — A federal agency sued a New Mexico company Thursday in federal court, alleging the firm discriminated against pregnant employees it had hired as security guards on Army bases.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said the victims included two female employees each at Fort Riley, Kan.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; and Fort Hood, Texas. The EEOC also sued on behalf of all women in a similar situation.

By law, the commission automatically can file a class-action lawsuit, which is expected to be heard by a jury in Wichita.

A spokesman for the company, Akal Security Inc., did not return a telephone message.

The EEOC alleges that the company forced the women to take leaves of absence when they became pregnant, then fired them. The commission said that violates federal law. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., seeks an undisclosed amount of damages from Akal.

The suit was filed on behalf of Melissa Bell, Sahra Carter, Makeesha Delaney, Angela Garcia, Vernica Hutto, Rebecca Martinez, Elizabeth Parker, Tamara Ransom, Shannon Smith and unnamed others.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_pregnantsuit_091108/