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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Fla. Sex Discrimination Law Includes Pregnancy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CN) - A Florida appeals court allowed a Lake Worth firefighter to proceed with claims that the city discriminated against her based on her pregnancy, ruling that the state's protections against sex discrimination extend to pregnancy discrimination.

When Amy Carsillo became pregnant, she claimed the city offered her a light-duty assignment outside the fire department. She sued for discrimination, claiming Lake Worth allowed other employees with physical restrictions to perform light duty within the department.

The trial court had granted the city summary judgment on the basis that the Florida law banning sex discrimination offers no protection against pregnancy discrimination.

But Judge Klein ruled that the Florida "is patterned after the Federal Civil Rights Act," which bars discrimination based on pregnancy.

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