A pregnant woman alleges she was unfairly terminated and denied reasonable accommodations by her employers. Frida Saldivar filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 16, 2024, against Bluecrew, LLC and WestRock Converting, LLC d/b/a WestRock.
Saldivar's lawsuit stems from alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) of 2023. According to court documents, Saldivar was hired by Bluecrew on January 16, 2024, and placed at WestRock’s Bolingbrook location. Despite disclosing her pregnancy during the hiring process, Saldivar claims she faced discriminatory treatment and was subjected to a hostile work environment due to her condition.
The complaint details an incident on April 25, 2024, when Saldivar was assigned to package large shampoo bottles. When instructed by her team lead to carry or push heavy boxes containing these bottles—each weighing approximately 50 pounds—Saldivar expressed concerns about the weight due to her pregnancy. The team lead questioned whether she had informed Bluecrew about her pregnancy and implied that her job might be at risk if she sought accommodations.
Feeling pressured and fearing for her job security, Saldivar continued working but eventually communicated her difficulties to both the team lead and supervisor Laura Morialti. Instead of offering accommodations or exploring alternative tasks that could suit her condition better, Morialti allegedly told Saldivar to go home if she couldn’t perform the assigned duties. This effectively terminated Saldivar’s employment with WestRock without engaging in any interactive process to accommodate her pregnancy-related limitations.
Following this incident, Saldivar reported the discrimination to Bluecrew. However, a Bluecrew employee candidly informed her that WestRock would not take her back and suggested she apply for another placement while being put on a waitlist. Despite filing a written report about the discrimination with Bluecrew, Saldivar claims she received no support or follow-up from either employer regarding suitable accommodations.
Saldivar asserts that she met or exceeded performance expectations throughout her employment but was unlawfully terminated due to sex (female) and pregnancy-based discrimination. She also alleges retaliation for reporting discriminatory practices and seeking reasonable accommodations under both Title VII and PWFA.
In seeking redress from the court, Saldivar requests back pay with interest, compensatory and punitive damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Frida Saldivar is attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while presiding over the case is Judge Amrith Kaur Aakre under Case ID: 1:24-cv-07364.