SAN DIEGO — The U.S. government is suing an Italian restaurant in Encinitas of employment discrimination.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a complaint Feb. 13 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California against Maurizio's Trattoria Italiana LLC and Does 1-10, alleging violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and 1991 Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, on Sept. 12, 2017, the EEOC issued a letter of determination to Maurizio's and engaged in communications to provide them the opportunity to remedy the alleged discriminatory practices reported by its employee. Elena Boni. Boni alleges she was discriminated against and treated differently because of her pregnancy.
As a result, the EEOC says the discriminatory treatment had deprive an employee equal employment opportunities and adversely affected her status as an employee, because of her pregnancy.
The plaintiff alleges Maurizio's Trattoria Italiana engaged in unlawful employment practices based on sex and pregnancy, and terminated an employee because of her pregnancy while it continued to employ servers with less seniority.
The EEOC seeks trial by jury, compensation damages to Boni for its malicious and/or reckless conduct, award the EEOC its costs of action, and grant all further relief the court deems in the public interest. It is represented by acting general counsel James Lee and associate general counsel Gwendolyn Young Reams of the EEOC in Los Angeles.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California case number 3:18-cv-00338-MMA-BLM