Previous Story
Worker files discrimination suit vs defunct Neo Fashion
|
Posted on Dec 30 2008
A nonresident worker filed a discrimination lawsuit yesterday against a defunct garment manufacturer, Neo Fashion Inc., which terminated her employment in 2007 allegedly due to her pregnancy.
Marichu V. Legaspi, through lawyer Stephen C. Woodruff, asked the U.S. District Court for the NMI to order Neo Fashion to pay her damages, court costs, and attorney’s fees.
Neo Fashion Inc. shut down its factory in San Antonio in January 2008.
Woodruff stated in the complaint that during Legaspi’s employment as a packer with Neo Fashion, she became pregnant. Woodruff said the company became aware that Legaspi was three or four months pregnant in February 2007.
On Feb. 26, 2007, the company’s administrative assistant confirmed to the production manager that the worker was indeed pregnant.
Woodruff said that soon after, the production manager, Soon Oh Lee, walked past Legaspi’s work station, looked her over from head to toe and “gave her a very sharp look.”
The lawyer said that on March 7, 2007, Legaspi was placed in a difficult position by the management because her pregnancy made it difficult for her to stand past 7pm and that the management wanted her to work up to 9:30pm.
The supervisor allegedly told Legaspi that she was a “slow worker” because of her pregnancy.
Neo Fashion, he said, gave Legaspi a hard time regarding her pregnancy related expenses.
On April 3, 2007, Neo Fashion did not renew Legaspi’s contract.
“Plaintiff believes that she was terminated from work because of her pregnancy,” Woodruff asserted.
Woodruff said that Neo Fashion then hired at least 10 new employees.
The lawyer said that in a determination issued June 19, 2008, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that Neo Fashion “did discharge plaintiff because of her sex [female and pregnancy]… a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.”
