Compounding Pharmacy Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

A Texas compounding pharmacy called Pharmacy Solutions will pay $85,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the lawsuit claiming that the owner of Pharmacy Solutions fired 2 pregnant employees within weeks of each other.

A former pharmacist named Arian Lemon said the compounding pharmacy owner made negative statements about her pregnancy after she started going to doctors’ appointments. A former technician named Emilee Stephens said negative statements were also made about her pregnancy after she told the owner that she needed to switch her days off to see her doctor.

Stephens and Lemon were both fired in the same month.

“The discharges like those carried out in this case are the reason so many women worry that pregnancy may harm their careers,” noted EEOC Senior Trial Attorney Joel Clark in a press release.

“EEOC stands ready to protect the rights of pregnant workers and ensure that women can make decisions about their careers free from the fear of biased and misguided employers.”

The EEOC noted that Pharmacy Solution’s alleged behavior violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

As a result, the compounding pharmacy was ordered to incorporate a written policy against workplace discrimination based on pregnancy and gender. It must also provide the EEOC with quarterly reports to track pregnancy discrimination.

“It is unfortunate that in a medical-related business like a pharmacy, there would still be such an outdated approach to pregnancy in the workplace,” said Regional Attorney Robert A. Canino of EEOC’s Dallas District Office. “Exclusion of women who simply seek to earn a living as well as have a family can certainly run afoul of the antidiscrimination statutes.”

The EEOC first tried to reach a pre-litigation settlement, but the commission had to sue in US District Court for the Northern District of Texas lawsuit.