Thursday, December 9, 2010

Woman Sues Wayne State, Salvation Army For Discrimination - Video - WDIV Detroit

Woman Sues Wayne State, Salvation Army For Discrimination - Video - WDIV Detroit
Woman Sues, Claiming She Was Called 'Beached Whale'
Salvation Army, Wayne State University Targeted

Insensitive Words Can Get You Sued

Tina Varlesi, who was 7 months pregnant was enrolled in Wayne State's social work master's degree program when she was placed with the Salvation Army for an internship program where she was called a "beached whale" by Salvation Army workers. According to the lawsuit, supervisors told Varlesi she failed 53 out of 54 categories for her internship evaluation.

Common Sense Counsel: under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, under certain circumstances, an employer can be held liable for the discriminatory comments of its employees. Certainly referring to a pregnant female as a "beached whale" would seem to qualify as discrimination, or harrassment, based upon pregnancy in even the most conservative of courts. Having an effective harassment prevention program is the key to avoiding this type of situation.

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