Kaiser Hawaii faces
discrimination suit

WAILUKU » A federal commission has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Honolulu, alleging Kaiser Permanente Hawaii discriminated against a pregnant nurse.

The lawsuit, filed last Wednesday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), charged that Kaiser withdrew its offer to promote Margaret McIlroy to director of obstetrics and pediatrics at its Wailuku clinic, after learning she was pregnant.

McIlroy began working for Kaiser Permanente as a registered nurse in Baldwin Park, Calif., in 1998 and was scheduled to start her new job on Maui on July 28, 2003, the lawsuit alleges.

McIlroy had to delay her transfer because of a family emergency and called Kaiser on Sept. 11, 2003, to confirm a later starting day.

On Sept. 12 she disclosed her pregnancy to a labor relations consultant who informed her Wailuku manager, the lawsuit said.

On the night of Sept. 12, the manager called and left a voice message saying she was withdrawing the offer.

The commission alleges that withdrawing the job offer was due to McIlroy's pregnancy.

"This is one of the stronger cases of pregnancy discrimination," said William Tamayo, regional attorney for the EEOC.

"The timing between Ms. McIlroy's announcement of her pregnancy and the withdrawal of the job offer reveals an unmistakable discriminatory motivation."

McIlroy has a job working as a nursing education supervisor in Los Angeles.

Kaiser spokeswoman Lynn Kenton said its attorneys had not received the lawsuit and will be reviewing it thoroughly.

Kenton said Kaiser takes equal opportunity requirements very seriously and provides ongoing training to its physicians and staff.