Restaurant told cashier she was ‘no good’ while pregnant and fired her, SC suit says

A restaurant employee says the owner told her she was “no good” while she was pregnant and fired her, according to a South Carolina lawsuit.

The suit, filed Sept. 9 in Florence County, accuses BTJ Wings of pregnancy and gender discrimination. McClatchy News reached out to the restaurant for comment but did not immediately hear back Sept. 9.

In December 2021, about five months after the woman was hired as a cashier at the restaurant, she learned she was pregnant, according to the lawsuit. The father of her child told her manager, who then told the owner, the lawsuit says.

The owner then told the pregnant cashier she would be taken off the schedule and was fired because of her pregnancy, the lawsuit says.

The next day, the owner then texted the pregnant woman and said she was “no good” to her because of her pregnancy, according to the lawsuit.

The manager also texted the father of the child and said she tried to save the woman’s job, but ultimately she couldn’t convince the owner to keep her on, the lawsuit says.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, an amendment to the Civil Right Act, prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, child birth and related conditions.

The woman filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which issued a dismissal and right to sue July 5, according to the lawsuit. The woman is seeking back pay, front pay and compensatory damages.

Florence County is about a 60-mile drive northwest from Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published September 9, 2024 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Restaurant told cashier she was ‘no good’ while pregnant and fired her, SC suit says."