SMITHFIELD, Va. — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Virginia-based Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp., alleging that a company facility in Tarheel, N.C., violated federal law by discriminating against a pregnant employee.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the woman was hired as a general laborer in August 2023. She told the company she was pregnant when they onboarded her.
On Aug. 29 that year, the woman was reportedly involved in a workplace accident at the facility. Four days later, she experienced substantial pregnancy-related bleeding while working and went to the hospital by ambulance. She left the emergency department with a doctor’s note excusing her from work until Sept. 5, a request for two weeks of light duty, as well as restrictions on lifting and bending…