Christina Pinedo, a former employee of the Center for Employment Training, has filed a lawsuit alleging pregnancy discrimination and wrongful termination. The complaint was lodged on February 19, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara. Pinedo accuses her former employer of multiple violations under California law, including discrimination based on pregnancy and retaliation for exercising her rights to medical leave.
The case stems from events that began when Pinedo was employed as a Financial Aid Officer with the Center for Employment Training starting February 7, 2017. According to the complaint, Pinedo's employment was abruptly terminated on January 15, 2025, following her decision to take legally protected pregnancy-related medical leave. She claims that despite providing consistent updates and doctor’s notes about her condition and expected return date, she was wrongfully dismissed while on maternity leave. The complaint alleges that this action violated several provisions of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), including sections related to pregnancy discrimination and retaliation.
Pinedo's legal team argues that her termination was not only discriminatory but also retaliatory because it occurred after she sought reasonable accommodations for her pregnancy. The lawsuit outlines how Pinedo experienced severe emotional distress and economic losses due to the alleged illegal actions by her employer. It further details how the Center for Employment Training failed to provide necessary information regarding medical leave entitlements despite repeated requests from Pinedo.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional suffering, Pinedo is pursuing punitive damages against the defendants. Her attorneys argue that the actions taken by the Center for Employment Training were maliciously intended to harm her and carried out with a conscious disregard for her rights under California law. They assert that such conduct warrants punitive measures to deter similar future behavior by employers.
The plaintiff is represented by Howard L. Magee and Kristen M. Agnew from Diversity Law Group, along with Brandon M. Banks from Brandon Banks Law APC. The case has been assigned Case No. 25CV459389 in Santa Clara County Superior Court and is overseen by Judge J. Nguyen.