A bartender was fired from her job for being pregnant and no longer “fun” or “sexy” as a result of her “bulging” belly. Jennifer Paviglianiti, an employee at a Suffolk County topless bar and restaurant chain, successfully tended bar for owner John Doxey at his Café Royale, Le Café, and Gaslite establishments before she was terminated for “hurting the registers” as she became “bigger and bigger and more unsexy.”
Ms. Paviglianiti filed charges of discrimination with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Please find the abridged transcript of the audio below.
While working women routinely suffer discriminatory treatment in the workplace due to pregnancy and the inevitable maternity leave, rarely is the discrimination this blatant, and rarely are the corporate decision-makers this honest in their assessment of the perceived diminished capacity of pregnant employees. Plaintiff’s counsel is the law firm of Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser, LLP, a full-service Women’s Rights in the Workplace law boutique in NYC. For more information about the case, contact Jack Tuckner, Wiliam Sipser or Antonia Donato at 212.766.9100, or at [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected], respectively.
Audio Transcript:
John- A pregnant woman behind the bar, in a topless bar, I’m beginning to think that it’s hurting the registers and you’re incapable of fulfilling all of your job duties. You’re trying, I’m not saying that you’re not trying,ok,but number one, I don’t want nothing to happen to you, I don’t want nothing to happen to you… Jen- That’s not true, I can do it just fine… John- Jen, Jen, don’t argue with me just listen to what I’m saying ok, I don’t want you… John-I can’t help but think that it is partially because of the, ya see guys don’t think that a pregnant, they’re not coming in to see sexy bartenders that are pregnant that are bulging out, I’m sorry… Jen- I bonused nine times since August. John- Since August! Jen- How many other people have bonused nine times, that’s once a week! John- Jen, Jen, you gotta stop… Jen- The only thing I can’t do according to my doctor is have sex, that’s the only thing I’m not allowed to do. John- Jen, you have, you wanna make it your way, I understand that, ok you bonused nine times, I’m not arguing that, but each week you’re getting bigger and bigger, and un, more unsexy, unsexy, ok, it’s more obvious, obvious, obvious, that you’re pregnant, pregnant, pregnant, ok? John-I didn’t have a problem with it but I told you when you start showing too much we’re gonna have an issue, you feel that you can keep going, I understand that, of course you’re gonna feel that way. You did tell me about the Fridays getting a little bit rough on you, yes you did, I’m not denying it ok? But, denial in your mind, you wanna keep going because you wanna keep making the money and do what you gotta do, I understand that and I respect that but there’s only one problem, it’s not in the best interest of the club all the time. You understand what I’m saying? Jen- Like I said, I can understand if I wasn’t doing my job and I wasn’t doing it well. Jen- Alright. Can you just give me a little notice when you’re gonna tell me that I need to stop working? John- I will let you know, because I’m gonna be honest with you I don’t see it much past ya know next week. I don’t see it much past next week. Jen- Next week? John- Yeah next week. I can’t help it honey… Jen- But I’m not doing a bad job, I’m ringing my register! John- Jen you don’t understand, you don’t understand, you could be, I’m not saying that you’re not ringing the register, I just said there’s all different things and aspects, customers don’t wanna come in and see a pregnant woman behind the bar! Why can’t you get that through your head, you’re not getting it… John-I can’t believe that one way or the other Gaslite was the only club on, damn near in the area or pretty much most of Long Island that was dead. If they were that’s fine, but why were they? Maybe because I have a pregnant bartender? She’s not that much fun with them?