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Pregnancy Discrimination Suit Against University of Baltimore Settled

BALTIMORE (AP) - The University of Baltimore has settled a lawsuit alleging it discriminated against a pregnant employee.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a release Monday that the university will pay $115,000 to Sarah Dechowitz and review its anti-discrimination policies.

According to the federal complaint, a high-ranking official made comments that indicated Dechowitz's pregnancy was a motivating factor in eliminating her position, which terminated her employment. A week after she was notified of the move, the university advertised a similar, new position and wouldn't rehire her.

Dechowitz initially filed a charge of sex discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which referred it to the Justice Department to pursue a Title VII complaint.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore said in the release that the department is committed to fighting pregnancy discrimination.

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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.