iPRO Dental Laboratory to Pay $30,000 in EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – iPRO Dental Laboratory, Inc., a Fort Lauderdale manufacturer of dental restoration products, will pay $30,000 to settle a federal pregnancy discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

In its lawsuit, the EEOC charged that the company fired a newly hired employee in January 2023 after learning she was pregnant. The employee started work on a Monday, informed the company she was pregnant on Tuesday, and was terminated on Friday without any record of performance or disciplinary issues.

“Employers cannot force workers out of their jobs because of pregnancy,” said Kristen Foslid, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District Office. “The law is clear that pregnancy cannot be the basis for denying employment opportunities.”

The conduct alleged in EEOC’s compliant violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including pregnancy. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. iPRO Dental Laboratory, Inc. Case No. 0:25-cv-61904) in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

EEOC Miami District Director Evangeline Hawthorne said, “Assumptions and stereotypes about pregnant workers’ ability to perform have no place in a fair and equitable workplace. The EEOC will continue to stand up for the rights of all employees to work in an environment free from discrimination.”

In addition to monetary damages paid to the terminated employee, the company will hire a third-party equal employment opportunity coordinator to conduct investigations into complaints of discrimination and to shadow iPro’s interviews to provide feedback on best practices. In addition, iPro will create a hotline for employees to report discrimination; create policies on pregnancy discrimination and handling requests for accommodation from pregnant employees, provide annual training for all employees; post a notice regarding the lawsuit; and submit biannual reports to the EEOC regarding complaints of discrimination and requests for accommodation due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

For more information on pregnancy discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Miami District Office’s jurisdiction includes Florida, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.