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| Don't Disrespect Moms |
A federal jury awarded $2.8 million to a female electrician who was constantly criticized by her male co-workers and supervisors for not staying home after becoming a mother.
Deirdre Pawell, the only female electrician at Chicago's Navy Pier, sued her employer, the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, for discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
"Mothers like you caused Columbine," Pawell was told at her job. On another occasion, she found clipped to her timesheet an article that (supposedly) first appeared in a 1955 magazine titled "The Good Wife's Guide." The article closed with the statement "A good wife always knows her place."
Although Pawell received an apology after making a complaint about discrimination, the mistreatment continued. Pawell claims that after she announced that she was pregnant, she was denied overtime opportunities, transferred to a less desirable position, and given unpleasant jobs such as cleaning pigeon droppings off light fixtures. After she suffered a miscarriage, co-workers tactlessly joked about her loss.
Sometimes emotional during her testimony, Pawell recalled that on Mother's Day in 2001, when she was pregnant with her second child, a co-worker called her and said threateningly, "If you want to see this child, don't come to work."
After receiving the verdict, Pawell remarked, "I'm just thankful that people can see the truth. That's all I can say." [Pawell v. Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority (IL 2004)]
For information on this topic tailored to your company profile, request Memos: |
5610 Definition of Pregnancy & Maternity Discrimination
5615 Accommodating Pregnancy & Maternity
5930 Employer's Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment
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