Johnson v. UCP Case: Pregnancy Discrimination Case

On April 30, 2009, the court sided with Dewandra Johnson in the case against the United Cerebral Palsy Spastic Children Foundation of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Johnson, who used to work for UCP as caregiver, claimed that she was unfairly terminated because she was pregnant and because she took a leave relating to her pregnancy. The defendant stated that the termination was due time to falsified records, but Johnson supported her claim by proving that she had not falsified her records, was fired soon after disclosing her pregnancy, and the defendant had fired other woman for being pregnant.

Using Coworkers Complaints as Evidence

One major influence in this case was the testimonials from coworkers that supported Johnson’s claim for unfair termination. Numerous coworkers and former employees came forward and stated that they: had been fired by the defendant due to pregnancies, knew someone who had been fired due to a pregnancy, or resigned due to unfair treatment from a supervisor after disclosing that they were trying to become pregnant. In one declaration given by Melissa Wyatt, a counselor who was present during supervisor meetings, Wyatt shared that she had witnessed the supervisors brainstorming excuses to use as a cover up when they fired a pregnant employee.

Johnson, who was represented by Attorney V. James DeSimone, was able to use these declarations to support her claim that her own termination had been discriminatory.

You can read more about Johnson v. UCP here.

Are You Facing Discrimination Due to a Pregnancy?

Unfortunately, Dewandra Johnson is just one of many women who face unfair treatment from employers due to pregnancies. At V. James DeSimone Law, we make it our top priority to protect your workplace rights.

We have experience handling the following pregnancy discrimination cases:

• Wrongful termination
• Unfair hours or wage cuts
• Non-coverage of maternity leave
• Violations of the Family & Medical Leave Act
• Emotional trauma due to treatment

If you have experienced any of these issues while pregnant, contact our firm today!

V. James DeSimone

Attorney V. James DeSimone is a 35+ year experienced civil rights & employment lawyer in Southern California. Jim is a Super Lawyer, Rated “Superb” by Avvo, and is a US News & World Report Best Law Firm in California.