One King Lanes and CSC Generation were recently hit with a lawsuit over pregnancy discrimination allegations.
One King Lanes, a home décor company, was recently hit with a lawsuit over allegations of pregnancy discrimination. The suit was filed by two corporate employees and names the company’s owner, CSC Generation, a private equity firm. According to the two women, they were “indefinitely furloughed just weeks before their scheduled maternity leaves.” Additionally, the suit alleges one of the employees was “laughed at by CSC leadership when she requested the company to honor previously negotiated benefits.”
In addition to One Kings Lane, CSC Generation also owns DirectBuy and the intellectual property of the bankrupted Bon-Ton. The firm advertises itself as “‘saving retail’ by preventing poorly performing brands from liquidating and saving 800 jobs in the process.”
The suit itself was filed in the Southern District of New York and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to the two employees, after CSC took over ownership of One Kings Lane, the firm “began making unlawful changes to the company’s policies and practices with respect to employees, including violating New York’s sick leave rules.” At the time, both women were in their third trimesters, preparing to welcome their babies into the world. Eventually, both women were “placed on indefinite furlough, a decision interpreted as one to permanently terminate two female employees because of their pregnancies and expected maternity leaves.” It’s important to note that other employees were furloughed, but the two pregnant women were the only ones furloughed from their respective teams.
The suit argues the two women had negotiated their maternity leave plans via “the company’s previous ownership structure.” When one of the women asked about their maternity leave plan, they were allegedly “laughed at by CSC executives.” The firm then “told the women they would not be eligible for short-term disability or other programs based on the pre-existing condition of their pregnancies.”
Upset and confused, the women sought out legal counsel and approached the firm. When they did so, CSC “offered to immediately reinstate the employees, expecting them to return to work within days-notice, only weeks after giving birth, without mentioning maternity benefits or leave,” according to the suit. The lawsuit further states:
“Belatedly, in a transparent effort to cover its tracks, on Saturday, June 27, 2020, CSC Generation demanded that Ms. van der Does return to work that coming Monday, June 29, and on Wednesday, July 7, 2020, CSC Generation demanded that Ms. Marinaro return to work the very next day – i.e., Thursday, July 8 – even though they each had recently given birth to their children and needed time off for maternity leave.”
Sources:
Employees of One Kings Lane Sue Private Equity Firm Over Pregnancy Discrimination
Join the conversation!