Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli & Brewer release the following: Prenatal genetic testing company accused of gender and pregnancy discrimination

OAKLAND, Calif., July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A former employee has filed suit against Natera, Inc., a company that performs screening tests for pregnant women, on the grounds that she was discriminated against because of her pregnancy and gender. 

The lawsuit was filed July 11, 2018, in San Mateo County Superior Court, on behalf of plaintiff Melissa Blain Johnson, a former senior manager in Natera's marketing department. The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Erika Jacobsen White, Esq. of Jacobsen White Law, P.C. and Jayme Walker, Esq. of Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer.

Before she got pregnant, Ms. Johnson alleges she had been told that she was performing well and on a director level track for advancement. All that changed after Ms. Johnson announced she was pregnant. Suddenly she was excluded from important meetings, her job duties diminished, she had a direct report taken away, and then she was retaliated against after she complained to HR and management about the sexist environment at the company and of the discrimination she was facing.

In her Complaint, Ms. Johnson states she was also asked by senior management to undergo genetic testing from a competitor while she was pregnant so Natera would have access to test results to help them identify product performance gaps. She was shocked and refused. 

"There are numerous documented examples of Natera's discriminatory treatment of its pregnant employees, their failure to provide reasonable accommodations for women with pregnancy related disabilities; and their retaliation against any woman who dared speak up about Natera's toxic sexist culture. This case demonstrates Natera's wholesale objectification of women's bodies for profit," said Erika Jacobsen White, Esq. of Jacobsen White Law, P.C., Co-Counsel representing Plaintiff.

The plaintiff was a vocal critic of the company's maternity leave policy, which included no company-paid leave, and of the complete absence of women on the executive leadership team. Her attorneys believe she was targeted because of her views.

"Some companies treat pregnant women and new mothers as if they are inconvenient and expendable. This has a huge impact on our feelings of self-worth and our professional trajectories," said Plaintiff Melissa Blain Johnson.

"Our client's complaints to HR included being demoted because she was pregnant and other acts of intense harassment and retaliation directly related to her pregnancy. The hypocrisy of a company that exists to serve pregnant women yet is run exclusively by men who discriminate against female employees who become pregnant is a repugnant and blatant flouting of the law and we intend to fully vindicate Ms. Johnson for the discrimination she faced," said Jayme Walker, Esq. of Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer, who represents the Plaintiff.

Pregnancy discrimination: An all too common story

While unfortunate, Johnson's experience with pregnancy and gender discrimination is not an isolated event.

The New York Times recently published an exposé on the rampant nature of pregnancy discrimination in corporate America. Johnson says that she decided to file suit in large part because she has seen many friends and colleagues experience pieces of her own story.

As reported by The Times, for each child a woman has, her hourly earnings are reduced by 4 percent, according to a 2014 analysis by a sociologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The Times quotes the same study saying, "Men's earnings increase by 6 percent when they become fathers, after controlling for experience, education, marital status and hours worked."

Co-Counsel Jayme Walker says she believes that a large part of the wage gap can be attributed to biases about a woman's capabilities and commitment to her career after she gives birth.

"Applying these biases in the workforce constitutes illegal and discriminatory behavior," Walker says. "In increasing numbers, we are seeing women no longer stand for this sort of treatment. We hope this lawsuit is a wakeup call to companies in Silicon Valley and across the country."

Contact: 
Erika Jacobsen White ([email protected] ) Jacobsen White Law, P.C. (510) 788-0234
Jayme Walker ([email protected] ) Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli & Brewer (510) 832-5411

SOURCE The Law Firm of Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli & Brewer

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