MINNEAPOLIS — International advertising and marketing firm Dentsu International Americas, LLC, violated federal law when it refused to hire a pregnant woman for a Minneapolis-based position promoting alcoholic beverage brands, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the suit, in November 2023, New York-headquartered Dentsu refused to hire a female applicant for a position promoting alcoholic beverage brands and instead hired a less-qualified male applicant. The hiring occurred after the female applicant disclosed her pregnancy during the interview process and indicated she would need to take leave following the birth of her child. The hiring manager for the position later stated that she did not select the female applicant because her “lifestyle didn’t fit” the position, the EEOC said.

Such conduct violates the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which prohibits an employer from refusing to hire a pregnant employee because she will need a reasonable accommodation, which can include time off to recover from childbirth. The alleged conduct also violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex discrimination in hiring, including discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Dentsu International Americas, LLC, Case No. 26-cv-03774) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

“Pregnancy should never stand in the way of a qualified applicant getting a job,” said Catherine Eschbach, acting EEOC general counsel. “Federal law prohibits employers from denying job opportunities because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The EEOC will continue to enforce these protections and hold employers accountable for pregnancy discrimination.”

For more information on pregnancy discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination. Resources about the PWFA can be found at: https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-pregnant-workers-fairness-act.

The EEOC’s Chicago District Office has jurisdiction over Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and North and South Dakota, with additional offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.