Email to female staffer: ‘Congratulations on the birth of your child – you’re fired’

Overview: After a female crew member gave birth to a premature baby boy, she was fired from her job, then congratulated on the birth of the child.

The scenario: When Brenda Bryant began working as a patient care coordinator with JAG Physical Therapy, Brooklyn Heights, NY, she was about 26 weeks pregnant. About one month after she’d started the job, Bryant wasn’t feeling well, so she went to the hospital, where she gave birth to a premature baby boy after 30 weeks of pregnancy.

The baby needed to remain in the neonatal intensive care unit for about five weeks, so Bryant sent a message to her supervisor, Marisa Feldman, asking about her options for working a part-time schedule while the baby was in the intensive care unit. She also inquired about her maternity leave options once the baby had been released from the hospital.

Later that same day, Bryant received an email from the HR department stating that JAG Physical Therapy could no longer hold her position, so her employment had been ended. The email also stated, “Congratulations on the birth of your child.” A
follow-up email from Lisa Wilson, another supervisor, confirmed that Bryant had been fired.

Bryant immediately emailed Wilson stating that she would be cleared to return to work the next week and asking about a temporary change of schedule. She was ignored, so Bryant contacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Legal challenge: The EEOC sued JAG Physical Therapy for pregnancy discrimination.

The ruling: The company lost. JAG Physical Therapy agreed to pay $125,000 to settle the lawsuit.

Based on EEOC v. PT Administrative Services LLC, d/b/a JAG Physical Therapy.

(From the July 10, 2026, issue of HR Manager’s Legal Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)