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Press Release 09-29-2015

First Call Ambulance Service, LLC Sued by EEOC for Pregnancy Discrimination

Medical Transport Company Refused Accommodation to Pregnant Employee, Federal Agency Charges

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - First Call Ambulance Service, LLC, a Nashville-based company that provides non-emergency medical transport and ambulance services throughout Tennessee, Ohio and Virginia, violated federal law when it refused to accommodate an employee's pregnancy-related lifting restriction, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to EEOC's suit, First Call informed an employee that she could not work because of her pregnancy and forced her to take leave, and maintained a policy of refusing to accommodate female employees with lifting restrictions due to pregnancy, while providing accommodations to non-pregnant employees, EEOC said.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. First Call Ambulance Service, LLC, Civil Action No. 3:15-cv-01041) in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. EEOC seeks injunctive relief to prohibit First Call from failing to accommodate employees because of pregnancy in the future. In addition, EEOC seeks monetary relief in the form of back pay, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

"It is unlawful to deny accommodations to a pregnant employee but offer them to non-pregnant ones," said Katharine W. Kores, district director of EEOC's Memphis District Office, which has jurisdiction over Arkansas, Tennessee and portions of Mississippi. "Issues like this are a high priority for EEOC, and we will work to eliminate such practices."

EEOC's Memphis District Office oversees Tennessee, Arkansas and the northern counties of Mississippi. EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination. Further information is available at www.eeoc.gov.