Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that the Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s Office has secured a Consent Decree to successfully resolve a public enforcement employment discrimination lawsuit against Precision Tool & Construction Supply, Inc. (“Precision”). The suit alleged that Precision violated the Arizona Civil Rights Act (“ACRA”) by suspending an employee without pay because its owners learned she was pregnant. Under the ACRA, it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against applicants and employees because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. “Pregnant women can be especially vulnerable to discrimination and firings in the workplace. Please know that my office will step in to enforce state laws that protect pregnant workers, and ensure their equal opportunity to work free from discrimination to support their families, when needed," said Attorney General Mayes, "As the first mom to serve as the Attorney General of Arizona, I know just how important it is to protect the rights of pregnant Arizonans and their families." Precision is a hardware retailer located in Tucson, Arizona. In 2023, a former employee filed a charge of discrimination with the Civil Rights Division alleging that Precision placed her on an involuntary and unpaid suspension after she told Precision’s co-owner that she was pregnant. The then-owner of Precision testified that she would not have hired the employee if she knew she was pregnant. Under the State’s Consent Decree, Precision agrees to:
- Pay the aggrieved former employee $30,000.
- Modify its policies and procedures to prohibit discrimination and forbid Precision from considering an applicant’s sex or pregnancy when making employment decisions.
- Train its personnel on state and federal laws which prevent pregnancy discrimination, with additional training for its managerial staff.
- Submit to up to four years of monitoring by the Civil Rights Division to ensure compliance with the Consent Decree.
Original source can be found here.