Reinstatement Precludes Pregnancy Discrimination Suit Against Synagogue

In Shultz v. Congregation Shearith Israel of the City of New York, (SD NY, Aug. 15, 2016), a New York federal district court dismissed (with leave to amend) a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit brought by Alana Shultz, the long-time program director of a New York City Upper-West Side Orthodox Jewish congregation. Plaintiff claimed that the purported elimination of her job position when she returned from her honeymoon was a pretext for firing her because she had been pregnant at the time of her marriage.  When Shultz threatened to sue, the congregation reinstated her to her position. (See prior related posting.) The court held that Shultz's reinstatement eliminated any adverse job action-- a prerequisite to an employment discrimination claim-- saying:

 An employer may validly rescind a termination merely to avoid liability, even begrudgingly, so long as the employer restores the employee to her position with no material change or consequence. 

Courthouse News Service reports on the decision.