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Pregnancy Discrimination Suit Against University of Baltimore Settled

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BALTIMORE (AP) - The University of Baltimore has settled a lawsuit alleging it discriminated against a pregnant employee.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a release Monday that the university will pay $115,000 to Sarah Dechowitz and review its anti-discrimination policies.

According to the federal complaint, a high-ranking official made comments that indicated Dechowitz's pregnancy was a motivating factor in eliminating her position, which terminated her employment. A week after she was notified of the move, the university advertised a similar, new position and wouldn't rehire her.

Dechowitz initially filed a charge of sex discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which referred it to the Justice Department to pursue a Title VII complaint.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore said in the release that the department is committed to fighting pregnancy discrimination.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.