High Court Rules Pregnancy Covered By Discrimination Laws
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — Employers in Florida cannot discriminate against pregnant women under the state's civil rights act.
In a 6-to-1 opinion handed down Thursday, the Florida Supreme court overturned a lower court's ruling in the case of a woman who worked for a South Florida property developer.
The woman claimed after she became pregnant, the company began extra scrutiny of her work and refused to schedule her after she returned from maternity leave.
The lower court had ruled that the Florida Civil Rights Act does not cover pregnant woman. The Supreme Court's opinion takes a broader view of the law, ruling that discrimination on the basis of pregnancy extends to the protection of an individual based on gender.
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