Ruling Denying TX Workers Protections Against Pregnancy Discrimination Is An Outrage that Must Not Stand
Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996
“Tuesday’s ruling by a federal district court judge in Texas, denying the protections of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to Texas state employees, is an outrage that must not stand. A Trump-appointed judge took it upon himself to challenge rules adopted by Congress during a pandemic and in doing so denied the essential protections of the PWFA to hundreds of thousands of employees of the state of Texas. This victory for the Texas Attorney General is an appalling and unjustifiable loss for women and families in Texas and for the state.
“All pregnant workers deserve to be treated fairly on the job and to have access to the reasonable accommodations the PWFA guarantees. Enactment of this hard-fought and badly needed law, which passed with strong bipartisan support, was an important and meaningful step forward for our country. It has meant that fewer pregnant workers are forced out of their jobs because employers deny them reasonable accommodations like carrying water bottles and taking more bathroom breaks. It protects the health of moms and infants, especially helps low-income women and women of color, and makes moms and families more economically secure.
“We expect Tuesday’s ruling to be vigorously challenged and then overturned on appeal. And voters will long remember the officials who went to court to take away pregnant people’s right to be treated fairly on the job.”