In a significant legal development, a former police officer has filed a federal lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation related to her pregnancy and breastfeeding needs. Maria Guzman filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on June 3, 2024, against the Village of Stickney and its Police Chief James Sassetti, Deputy Chiefs Jerry Chlada Jr., and Frank Figueroa.
Guzman's lawsuit claims that she faced sex and pregnancy discrimination, retaliation in employment, and unlawful harassment after requesting reasonable accommodations for her pregnancy and lactation needs. Guzman was employed by the Stickney Police Department (SPD) from April 2012 until her termination on July 21, 2023. She alleges that upon returning to work after giving birth in June 2022, she was treated less favorably than other employees who took leave for temporary disabilities unrelated to pregnancy. Specifically, Guzman contends that SPD's policies unfairly capped paid off-duty injury leave time for pregnancies while allowing up to twelve months of leave for on-the-job injuries.
The complaint further details how Guzman's supervisors failed to provide necessary accommodations for expressing breast milk at work. Despite informing her supervisors about her need to pump breast milk according to her infant’s feeding schedule, Guzman faced numerous obstacles. "None of her supervisors provided Guzman with any information about accommodations," the complaint states. Instead, she was rushed during pumping sessions, monitored closely by Defendant Figueroa, and discouraged from taking legally protected breaks. This led Guzman to resort to pumping in gas station bathrooms or waiting until before or after her shift, which adversely affected her milk production and caused physical pain.
Moreover, Guzman experienced continuous retaliation after complaining about these issues. She faced unwarranted disciplinary actions, excessive scrutiny from Deputy Chief Figueroa, and was reassigned to the midnight shift despite being the primary caregiver for her infant son and a daughter suffering from severe psychological issues. The defendants allegedly manufactured reasons to terminate Guzman when she did not quit following these retaliatory actions.
Guzman's lawsuit includes multiple counts under various laws: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act; Illinois Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act (INMWA); Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act); and state law claims of retaliatory discharge. She seeks judgment against the defendants for back-pay, front-pay, compensatory damages including emotional distress damages; punitive damages against individual defendants; reinstatement with full benefits; declaratory judgment; permanent injunctions against discriminatory practices; attorney’s fees; costs; litigation expenses; and other relief deemed just by the court.
The case is being handled by attorney Gianna Scatchell Basile of GB Law based in Chicago. The presiding judge has yet to be named as per Case No.: 1:24-cv-4606.