Feminist Sights on Pregnancy and Discrimination: A Personal Account

Elizabeth Warren has taken some heat over her personal pregnancy discrimination story. But have you, or someone you know, faced similar discrimination?

My sister was a married teacher in the late sixties. She was let go during each of her pregnancies, with no guarantee of a job after her children were born and no maternity leave. It was a common occurrence.

Personal Experience with Pregnancy Discrimination

I was fired for being a Mom. I had been working for a major pharmaceutical company in field sales for years. I was killing it! 134 to quota and was feeling great. I knew my job and I was good at it. I had gotten married the year before and was looking forward to a better part of my life. I got pregnant with my first baby at 38 and was thrilled. I was a good rep and a good Mom, I was making my numbers, and my customers loved me.

But then they re-organized my division and hired some brash twenty-five-year-old from the diabetes division. He systematically transferred away all the experienced long-time managers I had established credibility with, and my customers began to notice the changes. My first field ride with this new recruit went like this: "I don't much give a shit about work/family balance. I want a young, healthy team right out of college that won't complain and are grateful to have a job!"

He began building a case against every working mother on the team and either forced them into medical leave or harassed them until they quit. He filled his sales team with new graduates, avoiding suspicion of discrimination, and had the backing of the VP, who came in and just cleaned us all out of the division.

I took my case to a number of attorneys, but they all agreed that I had a good case and was right, but none had the deep pockets to take on a major pharmaceutical company, so they all turned me down. Pregnancy and motherhood discrimination happen all the time! Motherhood is not a specifically protected class. This is why women need the Equal Rights Amendment.

Additional Stories of Discrimination

I have experienced similar discrimination not because of pregnancy but because of epilepsy. Several employers have stated that they don't hire epileptics because if I have a seizure, it could make them look bad. Here are a few examples:

1. I was in the first group of women to be considered for ordination when the Episcopal Church decided to accept women into the priesthood. My bishop, who knew me as an ex-nun and active in education and outreach, was enthusiastic about sending me through the BACAM (Bishops Advisory Committee to the Ministry) process. When I met with the bishop, his first question before I sat down was, "Is it true you have seizures?" After I answered yes, I was told that the fact "precluded any question of ordination." Women were acceptable, but not epileptics, because the congregation would be confused spiritually if I were to succumb during the Mass or while dealing with my responsibilities to the congregation.

2. I was hired by a hospital to work in the office. After a physical, I received a call the next afternoon telling me not to bother coming in to work on Monday morning. When I went in to ask to speak with the director, she told me that if I had a seizure at work, it would make the hospital look bad.

3. I tried to get a job working in a pharmaceutical lab after I got my degree and was told that I might fall down with a bottle of acid. These events happened prior to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

So, no, I've never been pregnant, but I've dealt with ignorance on how people are perceived. It wouldn't surprise me that several people have lost jobs or opportunities for being pregnant—something that women were created for, some might argue.