A Washington woman says she was fired via text message from her job because she planned on taking maternity leave later this year.
Kameisha Denton told CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV that she had recently told her manager at a Jersey Mike’s franchise that she was pregnant and would need to take maternity leave in December.
When she noticed that she hadn’t been assigned shifts on an upcoming schedule, she texted her manager to ask for an updated schedule and was told the following: “I am sorry to inform you but it’s not going to work out with Jersey Mike’s. It’s not a good time for us to have someone who is leaving for maternity leave in several months anyways. You also failed to tell me this during your interview.”
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It’s illegal in Washington to use a woman’s pregnancy as a basis to refuse to “hire or promote, terminate, or demote, a woman.”
The franchise owner later told the television station that the firing should have never happened and that “It’s our policy to treat everybody equally.” He also said that the manager who sent the messages has resigned from the franchise.
Denton was reportedly offered her job back, but she declined. She says several other businesses have contacted her about employment opportunities, which she considers “a blessing.”
We’ve contacted Jersey Mike’s for a comment on Denton’s firing and will update this story if and when we hear back.