FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York Civil Rights Lawyer Eric Sanders, Esq., of The Sanders Firm, P.C., announces NYPD Police Officers Simone Teagle, Theresa M. Mahon, Melissa Soto-Germosen, Viviana Ayende and Elizabeth Ortiz have filed a landmark class action lawsuit claiming the legal rights of ‘nursing mothers’ are being disregarded
NEW YORK, December 29, 2019 – Today, after more than twelve years of the NYPD failing to accommodate nursing mothers with ‘reasonable’ break times and a proper location to ‘express milk’ NYPD Police Officers Simone Teagle, Theresa M. Mahon, Melissa Soto-Germosen, Viviana Ayende and Elizabeth Ortiz have announced the filing of a landmark class action lawsuit claiming the legal rights of ‘nursing mothers’ are being disregarded.
Plaintiffs’ SIMONE TEAGLE, THERESA M. MAHON, MELISSA SOTO-GERMOSEN, VIVIANA AYENDE and ELIZABETH ORTIZ filed a landmark federal complaint on behalf of themselves and all other Rule 23 Class Members appointed to the Police Department City of New York (“NYPD”) who claim that since August 15, 2007, Defendant THE CITY OF NEW YORK through its agents Defendants’ MICHAEL RUBENS BLOOMBERG; BILL de BLASIO; MARTHA H. HIRST; EDNA WELLS HANDY; STACEY CUMBERBATH; LISETTE CAMILO; RAYMOND WALTER KELLY; WILLIAM JOSEPH BRATTON; JAMES PATRICK O’NEILL; DERMOT FRANCIS SHEA; TRACIE KEESEE; TANYA MEISENHOLDER and their agents have engaged in a pattern, practice and policy of failing and refusing to provide nursing mothers with reasonable accommodations such as return to work assignments, assignments conducive to their physical limitations, equipment changes or modifications, assignments to ensure their legal right to express milk during work hours is protected and a proper location to express milk.
According to Plaintiffs’ and the other Rule 23 Class Members since August 15, 2007, the NYPD through its agents Defendants’ MICHAEL RUBENS BLOOMBERG; BILL de BLASIO; MARTHA H. HIRST; EDNA WELLS HANDY; STACEY CUMBERBATH; LISETTE CAMILO; RAYMOND WALTER KELLY; WILLIAM JOSEPH BRATTON; JAMES PATRICK O’NEILL; DERMOT FRANCIS SHEA; TRACIE KEESEE; TANYA MEISENHOLDER and their agents failed to accommodate nursing mothers with properly fitted equipment such as shirts, pants, belts, protective ballistic vests, etc.
Additionally, Plaintiffs’ and the other Rule 23 Class Members allege that since August 15, 2007, the NYPD through its agents Defendants’ MICHAEL RUBENS BLOOMBERG; BILL de BLASIO; MARTHA H. HIRST; EDNA WELLS HANDY; STACEY CUMBERBATH; LISETTE CAMILO; RAYMOND WALTER KELLY; WILLIAM JOSEPH BRATTON; JAMES PATRICK O’NEILL; DERMOT FRANCIS SHEA; TRACIE KEESEE; TANYA MEISENHOLDER and their agents failed to protect nursing mothers’ permanent work assignments upon return from maternity leave, does not accommodate them negatively impacting their career opportunities and pension rights, failed to accommodate nursing mothers with work assignments conducive to ensure their physical and mental ability to care for themselves and their children and failed to ensure nursing mothers are active partners during the interactive process to accommodate their requests.
Since August 15, 2007, the Plaintiffs’ and other Rule 23 Class Members allege that the NYPD Office of Equity and Inclusion and Internal Affairs Bureau fails to investigate allegations of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.
Additionally, Plaintiffs’ and the other Rule 23 Class Members allege that the NYPD Personnel Bureau and Legal Bureau failed to ensure compliance with federal, state and local laws regarding the rights of nursing mothers rights in the workplace.
Plaintiffs’ SIMONE TEAGLE, THERESA M. MAHON, MELISSA SOTO-GERMOSEN, VIVIANA AYENDE and ELIZABETH ORTIZ and the other Rule 23 Class Members allege that since August 15, 2007, the NYPD through its agents Defendants’ MICHAEL RUBENS BLOOMBERG; BILL de BLASIO; MARTHA H. HIRST; EDNA WELLS HANDY; STACEY CUMBERBATH; LISETTE CAMILO; RAYMOND WALTER KELLY; WILLIAM JOSEPH BRATTON; JAMES PATRICK O’NEILL; DERMOT FRANCIS SHEA; TRACIE KEESEE; TANYA MEISENHOLDER and their agents are not in compliance with federal, state and local laws that protects nursing mothers legal rights in the workplace.
The federal civil rights lawsuit was filed on December 23, 2019, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Docket No.: 19 cv 7211.
“These brave women are to be commended for asserting the legal rights of nursing mothers in the workplace. For more than eleven years, the NYPD totally disregarded the law, ignoring the physiological and psychological needs of nursing mothers. Fortunately, the legislators decided it’s good public policy to protect the legal rights of nursing mothers in the workplace and we intend to hold the parties responsible for completely disregarding them,” says lawyer Eric Sanders.
ABOUT THE SANDERS FIRM, P.C.
The Sanders Firm, P.C. offers those in the New York City area legal services related and connected to civil rights, civil service rights, criminal law and discrimination. We firmly believe in everyone’s individual rights that are described and guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America. We understand that our freedoms and liberties are sacrosanct and that they have been won in many and various hard-fought battles. We are committed in every way to protecting your civil rights.
CONTACT
Eric Sanders, Esq.
President and Owner, The Sanders Firm, P.C.
Business Phone: 212-652-2782