The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Officer wins pregnancy bias lawsuit against Cromwell
CROMWELL — A lawsuit brought by a pregnant Cromwell police officer has been settled in her favor.
Sarah Alicea, now a school resource officer, argued that the town forced her to take unpaid leave during the final four months of her pregnancy last year rather than modify her duties.
The settlement was announced late Thursday morning by the Connecticut chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Alicea in her lawsuit.
Alicea safely delivered a baby daughter, and has since resumed her job.
“I spoke out to seek justice for me and my family, and to make sure no other woman police officer has to experience what I have gone through,” Alicea said in a statement released by the ACLU.
“When we celebrated my daughter’s first birthday in August, I did so knowing that I’ve made the world a better place for her.”
Under the settlement, the town agreed to:
⏩ Adopt a pregnancy policy by Oct. 30 that conforms with state and federal protections for pregnant workers ⏩ Inform employees of their rights to pregnancy accommodation
⏩ Establish a procedure for employees to obtain reasonable accommodations for pregnancy while they work
⏩ Reimburse Alicea for wages and paid time off benefits she lost during and immediately following her pregnancy
Thursday afternoon, Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore issued a statement on behalf of the town regarding the settlement.
“The town of Cromwell is an equal opportunity employer and has at all times acted in good faith with regards all applicable state and federal regulations as well as the collective bargaining agreement.
“We are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution of this dispute with no admission of liability, which allows all parties to avoid the time and expense of litigation.
“We consider this matter closed,” Salvatore said.
Meanwhile, the ACLU placed the cost of the back pay for Alicea at $57,000, according to Meghan Holden, a spokeswoman for the ACLU.