US agency tasked with border security to pay $45 million over pregnancy discrimination, lawyers say

Associated Press

Lawyers representing pregnant employees who worked for Customs and Border Protection say the agency is paying $45 million to settle a discrimination case. Lawyers said the agency also agreed to enact reforms to address the discriminatory practices. The case was filed in 2016 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging there was a widespread practice by CBP to place officers and agriculture specialists on light duty when they became pregnant. CBP did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier had argued it wasn’t standard policy to put pregnant women on light duty assignments. Nearly 1,100 employees were involved in the class action.