Wabash National Corp. to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Over Denied Accommodation in Kentucky

Wabash National Corporation, a nationwide manufacturer of semi-trailers and commercial trucking equipment headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, has agreed to pay $50,000 and provide substantial non-monetary relief to resolve a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit brought forward by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The resolution brings to a close a federal legal action centered on allegations that the company failed to accommodate a pregnant worker at its manufacturing facility in Cadiz, Kentucky, instead forcing her onto unpaid leave and ultimately prompting her resignation in the final stages of her pregnancy.

According to details released by the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination, the EEOC’s lawsuit detailed a pattern of actions at the Cadiz plant that violated federal civil rights and labor statutes protecting pregnant employees. The core of the legal dispute arose when a pregnant employee at the facility requested a routine workplace accommodation. Specifically, the worker asked to be transferred temporarily to a role or station that did not require her to lie flat on her stomach, a physical posture that became increasingly untenable and concerning as her pregnancy progressed.

Rather than granting the reasonable modification request, Wabash National’s facility management denied the transfer. Instead of finding a workable solution that would protect both the employee’s health and her continued employment, the company forced the worker to take unpaid leave. Compounding the situation, the company later provided her with no viable alternative other than returning to her original position as an assembler without any modifications to accommodate her physical condition.

The EEOC noted that the company’s decision to deny the requested accommodation placed the worker in an untenable position, causing her significant anxiety and genuine fear for the health and safety of her pregnancy. Faced with the choice between returning to a physical role that jeopardized her well-being or remaining on unpaid leave with mounting financial strain, the employee felt she had no other choice. In November 2023, while she was nearly eight months pregnant, she was forced to tender her resignation.

Furthermore, the federal lawsuit shed light on additional compliance failures by the manufacturing firm. The EEOC stated that Wabash National unlawfully required the employee to provide extensive medical documentation while simultaneously failing to accommodate her needs. This refusal occurred despite the company having the operational capability to provide adjustments and modifications comparable to those it routinely offered to non-pregnant workers who presented with similar physical limitations or temporary work restrictions.

The federal enforcement agency asserted that the alleged conduct by Wabash National constituted a direct violation of several key pieces of federal legislation. These included the recently enacted Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended (ADA). Together, these statutes establish robust protections ensuring that workers with limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions are afforded reasonable accommodations, mirroring the protections long granted to individuals with other types of temporary medical restrictions.

The resolution of this case highlights the active enforcement posture of the EEOC regarding the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which provides critical rights to workers navigating pregnancy while remaining in the workforce. By securing the $50,000 settlement alongside required non-monetary relief, the agency aims to reinforce corporate accountability and ensure that employers across the commercial trucking and manufacturing sectors fully understand their legal obligations to pregnant employees. The case originated from the EEOC’s regional operations, which oversee compliance and investigate discrimination charges across the region, maintaining oversight of corporate facilities such as the manufacturing plant located in Cadiz, Kentucky.