EEOC Sues Maryland Hotel Lodge for Pregnancy and Disability Discrimination

BALTIMORE – Savage River Lodge, LLC, and Little Crossings, LLC, doing business as Fronterra Resources, violated federal law when it discriminated against an employee because of her disabilities, including pregnancy-related disabilities, and retaliated against her, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.  

According to EEOC’s lawsuit, the guest services representative, who worked for Savage River Lodge in Frostburg, Maryland, was disabled and pregnant when Savage River Lodge failed to accommodate her disabilities. Savage River Lodge then terminated her after she suffered a miscarriage and requested less than a week off to hold a memorial service and to see her doctor. After terminating her, Savage River Lodge did not offer to rehire her for any position even though she was qualified to work.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits pregnancy discrimination. The alleged conduct also violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits disability discrimination and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities unless it would cause undue hardship. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Savage River Lodge, LLC et al.,1:23-cv-02510) in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking permanent injunctive relief prohibiting Savage River Lodge from discriminating against employees because of pregnancy and disability in the future, lost wages, compensatory and punitive damages, and other relief.

“The EEOC is committed to enforcing the rights of women with disabilities, including pregnancy-related disabilities under Title VII and the ADA,” said Jamie R. Williamson, district director of the EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office.

Philadelphia District Office Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence said, “Pregnancy discrimination is against the law. The ADA and Title VII protect women from pregnancy discrimination and pregnancy-related disability discrimination in the workplace, including failing to accommodate a worker’s known pregnancy-related limitations.”

The EEOC’s Philadelphia District Office has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and parts of New Jersey and Ohio. The legal staff of the EEOC also prosecutes discrimination cases in Washington, D.C., and parts of Virginia.

For more information on disability discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination. For more information on retaliation, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/retaliation.

Although this case does not fall under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which went into effect on June 27, 2023, workers should be aware that employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to workers who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, experiencing pregnancy-related medical conditions, or recovering from childbirth, unless it causes an undue hardship. For more information about the PWFA, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/pregnant-workers-fairness-act.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.