In a striking lawsuit filed on June 21, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Benton Division, a former employee has accused her previous employer of pregnancy-based discrimination and retaliation. Gauge Bevis has lodged a complaint against Carrier Mills Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LLC, alleging violations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2023.
Gauge Bevis claims that during her tenure as a Certified Nursing Assistant from December 15, 2022, until her termination on March 9, 2024, she faced discriminatory treatment due to her pregnancy. The lawsuit states that after informing her employer about her pregnancy in February 2024 following an emergency room visit, Bevis experienced breaches of privacy and unprofessional conduct. According to the complaint, a Human Resources representative disclosed Bevis's private medical information to other employees without consent. "Defendant’s HR representative clearly shared Plaintiff's private medical information with other employees," reads the complaint.
The plaintiff further alleges that when she attempted to provide medical documentation and request accommodations for her condition on multiple occasions, these requests were met with hostility and rejection by Kathy Henkings, Director of Nursing. On one occasion in March 2024, when Bevis tried to submit doctor's notes justifying her absences due to illness and requesting accommodation for lifting restrictions due to her pregnancy, Henkings allegedly refused to accept them and questioned Bevis's attendance records aggressively.
The situation escalated when Bevis was informed through a letter dated March 29, 2024, that she had been terminated for a no-call no-show incident on March 9—a claim she disputes as false and pretextual. The plaintiff asserts that this termination was directly linked to her pregnancy and subsequent requests for reasonable accommodations.
Bevis is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay with interest, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and costs, pre-judgment interest if applicable, and any other relief deemed just by the court. She also demands a jury trial for all issues presented in the case.
Representing Gauge Bevis is attorney Travis P. Lampert from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., while the presiding judge is yet to be named under Case ID: 3:24-cv-01557-SPM.