Penney settles pregnancy discrimination suit for $40,000

J.C. Penney Corp. has agreed to pay $40,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The Plano, Texas-based retailer was accused of denying a job applicant a position in its Brunswick, Ga., store’s hair salon after informing the manager she was pregnant, in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

“The EEOC is pleased that J.C. Penney Corp. agreed to resolve this matter quickly and to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the law,” Bernice Williams-Kimbrough, district director for the commission’s Atlanta district office, said Thursday in a statement.

A J.C. Penney spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

A report last June by two women’s groups said women continue to experience significant workplace pregnancy discrimination and called for more legislation in this area.