Oprah Winfrey’s TV network OWN is one of the latest celebrity owned companies sued for wrongful termination and discrimination. Former employee and Senior Director Carolyn Hommel filed suit against OWN in Los Angeles Superior Court. Hommel alleges she was replaced by a temporary employee after going on pregnancy leave.
A month after giving birth, Hommel alleges that OWN “laid her off” after she had already been demoted and given an undeserved bad review.
Under California law, most employers are not allowed to discriminate or retaliate against an employee for taking pregnancy or disability leave. The question is did OWN fire Hommel for other reasons.
“The Price is Right” has been hit with an $8.5 million jury verdict for pregnancy discrimination against former “Barker Beauty” model Brandi Cochran. The 41 year old former Price is Right model says that she was not allowed to return to work after her maternity leave in violation of California law.
The Los Angeles jury determined the former model’s pregnancy was the reason she wasn’t rehired and awarded Cochran $776,944 in regular damages and $7.7 million in punitive damages. In their defense, producers FremantleMedia North America and The Price is Right Productions said they were satisfied with the five models working on the show at the time Cochran sought to return.
“I’m humbled. I’m shocked,” Cochran said after the jury announced its verdict. “I’m happy that justice was served today not only for women in the entertainment industry, but women in the workplace.”
The producers will appeal the verdict stating: “We believe the verdict in this case was the result of a flawed process in which the court, among other things, refused to allow the jury to hear and consider that 40 percent of our models have been pregnant,” and further “important” evidence.
This was not the first employment lawsuit by a “Barker Beauty” against the show’s producers.
What do you think of this huge verdict for failing to bring back an employee who went on pregnancy leave?
Please post your thoughts on ShiraziLawFirm.com/blog
