SAN FRANCISCO – A woman alleges she was wrongfully terminated after requesting maternity leave.
Diane Woodruff filed a complaint on June 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Cisco Systems Inc., Elite Office Staff Inc. and Does 1-20 alleging wrongful discharge, violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Feb. 24, she informed her supervisor that she was pregnant and asked to take a maternity leave in July. The suit states on March 19, she was given a two weeks' notice from the defendants claiming that it was due to lack of business growth and challenges on their budget that she was being terminated.
The plaintiff holds Cisco Systems Inc., Elite Office Staff Inc. and Does 1-20 responsible because the defendants allegedly terminated plaintiff's employment because of her pregnancy. She also alleges the defendants failed to properly pay plaintiff any overtime wages for all her hours worked over 40 per workweek.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks payment of wages, salary, employment benefits, pension benefits and any other compensation lost; compensatory damages, exemplary damages; liquidated damages; unpaid overtime wages; statutory penalties; all legal fees; interest and any other relief as the court deems just. She is represented by Rory C. Quintana of Quintana Hanafi Pungprakearti LLP in San Francisco.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Case number 5:16-cv-03567-HRL