Pregnant RI Woman Alleges She Was Discriminated Against at Work — Files Lawsuit

Pregnant RI Woman Alleges She Was Discriminated Against at Work — Files Lawsuit

A woman who had worked at a convenience store in Rhode Island has sued the company, alleging she was discriminated against while she was pregnant.

In an 8-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Alexzandra Cabral says she began working at Seasons Corner Market in 2014 before rising to the level of store manager at the Old Louisquisset location in Lincoln.

It was when Cabral got pregnant - and said she expressed concern about lifting heavy boxes - that she said she was given the choice of being demoted to cashier -  or put on unpaid leave.

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“The so-called accommodations provided by the Defendant were unreasonable under the law,” according to the lawsuit filed by attorney Michael Pushee.

 

Alleged Discrimination

According to the lawsuit, Cabral, a Cranston resident, told her district manager in March of 2023 that she was pregnant, and in June of 2023, she sent her manager a text that due to her pregnancy, she would need assistance with floor orders that were delivered which contained heavy objects.

Cabral said she was told to “obtain a work restriction note from her physician.”

“On June 28, 2023, the [Cabral] provided a note from her physician, Anne L. Murray,  M.D…whereby she was restricted from lifting heavy objects,” according to the lawsuit. “[Cabral] was restricted from 13 lbs. of repetitive lifting of more than 1 hour and 22 lbs. of repetitive lifting of less than 1 hour. [Cabral] was also restricted from lifting more than 26 lbs. at any time.”

Cabral says her District Manager and HR Director then called her to discuss her work restriction and, during the conversation, informed Cabral that she was “unable to continue working as Store Manager due to her work restrictions.”

She says her supervisors then provided her with two other options: an unpaid leave; or a demotion to a lower-paying job as a cashier

“[Seasons] required that Cabral take an unpaid leave despite that another reasonable accommodation could have been provided to [her],” the lawsuit continues. “The floor orders only take approximately 3-4 hours per week to complete. Prior to disclosing her pregnancy and requesting assistance with the floor orders, [Seasons] sent employees from other store locations to assist [Cabral] with the floor orders. [Seasons] could have provided this accommodation, but refused to do so.

“[Seasons] failed and/or refused to provide the [Cabral] any reasonable workplace accommodations,” states the lawsuit.

Cabral says she was “compelled” to go on unpaid medical leave in June 2023 and that December, “because Seasons subjected [her] to workplace discrimination, she was compelled to resign from her position at the company.”

 

Legal Remedies Sought

According to the lawsuit, Cabral filed a charge of discrimination against Seasons with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights (RICHR), and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September of 2023.

Both entities issued Cabral a notice of a right to sue later that fall.

Cabral is suing on three counts — unlawful discrimination under Title VII of U.S. Code; unlawful discrimination under the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act, and unlawful discrimination under the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act.

Seasons did not respond to requests for commment at time of pubilcation.