By Tara R. Pfeifer, WLP Staff Attorney
Plaintiff, Bobbi Bockoras, won the first battle in a lawsuit against her employer, Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc. (d/b/a Verallia North America), who she alleges discriminated and retaliated against her for asserting her right to pump breast milk at work. Ms. Bockoras is represented by the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, and the Women’s Law Project. On Monday, February 3, 2014, following oral argument on the employer’s motion to dismiss Ms. Bockoras’ Complaint, the Honorable Mark R. Hornak of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled from the bench and denied the employer’s motion. In her Complaint, Ms. Bockoras alleges that she repeatedly attempted to secure a private and sanitary place to express breast milk after her return to work after giving birth to her child and then faced harassment from co-workers regarding this necessary accommodation. Ms. Bockoras further alleges that when she complained to her employer about its failure to provide a suitable place to express breast milk and the co-workers’ harassment, the employer retaliated against her by moving her from a day shift to a rotating shift, which severely disrupted her ability to care for, and to breastfeed, her infant child, and by disregarding the harassment. As a result of the Court’s denial of the employer’s motion to dismiss, Ms. Bockoras’ case will move forward.
Congratulations to Bobbi Bockoras for her fearless advocacy on behalf of working mothers!
