A Miami Presidente Supermarket fired a woman for being pregnant, a federal lawsuit says
A Presidente Supermarket manager fired a cafeteria worker after learning the employee was pregnant, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit filed in Miami federal court alleges.
The EEOC filed the pregnancy discrimination lawsuit on behalf of Yesenia Tirado, who worked at the Presidente at 3001 NW 17th Ave., in 2018. The chain operates about 30 stores in Florida.
“Presidente Supermarkets takes discrimination allegations very seriously. We cannot comment on this matter at this time, as it is under litigation,” a spokesman for the supermarket chain emailed the Miami Herald.
‘We just don’t need you anymore’
According to the lawsuit, Tirado began working in the Allapattah Presidente’s cafeteria on Jan. 31, 2018, supervised by Misleidys Curbelo. The employee hadn’t received a performance review when she learned she was pregnant on Feb. 26, 2018, and told two coworkers that day. One of the coworkers told Curbelo.
“Ms. Curbelo responded by saying that Ms. Tirado would not be able to work at Presidente anymore because she was pregnant,” the lawsuit says.
A day or two later, Curbelo called Tirado and fired her over the phone. When Tirado asked why, the lawsuit says “Ms. Curbelo responded something along the lines of ‘We just don’t need you anymore.’”
Later in 2018, when Tirado wasn’t pregnant, she returned to the same store to ask to be rehired. When she met with Curbelo, she asked why her pregnancy caused her to be fired.
“Ms. Curbelo responded something along the lines of ‘If you know why you were fired, then why are you asking me?’” the lawsuit says.
Curbelo, the lawsuit says, told Tirado she couldn’t work at that Presidente.
The lawsuit asks for back pay with interest among other costs to Tirado that include job search expenses, medical-related expenses, emotional pain, suffering.
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 1:03 PM.
