EEOC Sues Roland Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center and Atlas Healthcare for Sex and Pregnancy Discrimination

BALTIMORE - Roland Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, a residential health care facility in Baltimore City, and Atlas Healthcare, the management company operating Roland Park RHC, violated federal law by refusing to provide a reasonable accommodation to a pregnant employee and firing her instead, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the suit, a certified nursing assistant told Roland Park RHC she was temporarily restricted by her doctor from lifting patients due to risks in her pregnancy. In response, Roland Park RHC, which maintained a policy of reserving light or modified duty for workers with on-the-job injuries only, refused to provide a reasonable accommodation for the employee as required by federal law. Instead, the company terminated her, telling her to reapply for a position after her pregnancy, the EEOC said.

"The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires employers to work with employees to identify and provide reasonable accommodations for an employee's known limitations related to pregnancy," said EEOCRegional Attorney Debra M. Lawrence. "The mere fact that an employer's generally applied policies forbid or fail to authorize an accommodation does not relieve the employer of its obligation under the PWFA. If the accommodation is reasonable and does not pose an undue hardship, it must be provided to a pregnant worker."

The conduct alleged in the EEOC's complaint violates the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which requires employers, absent undue hardship, to provide reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, including pregnancy, childbirth or pregnancy-related medical conditions. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division (U.S. EEOC v. Roland Park SNF Operations, LLC, et al., Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-2986) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

EEOC Philadelphia District Office Director Jamie R. Williamson said, "Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions and resulting limitations. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, not treat it as a terminable offense."

The PWFA went into effect June 27, 2023; resources for employees, employers, and health care providers are available at: https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-pregnant-workers-fairness-act. For more information on pregnancy discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination.

The lawsuit was initiated by the EEOC's Baltimore Field Office, one of four component offices of the agency's Philadelphia District Office. The Philadelphia District Office has jurisdiction over Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and portions of New Jersey and Ohio. Attorneys in the Philadelphia District Office also prosecute discrimination cases in Washington, D.C., and portions of Virginia.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.