By Alanna Sakovits
The testimony of V&A’s Alanna Sakovits was cited in the New York City Commission on Human Rights’ (“NYCCHR”) Report on the 2019 Commission Public Hearing on Pregnancy and Caregiver Discrimination. The NYCCHR cited Sakovits’ suggested amendment to the New York City Human Rights Law that would create a rebuttable presumption discrimination by employers who terminate pregnant workers:

“An attorney representing victims of pregnancy discrimination recommended amending the City Human Rights Law to create a rebuttable presumption of discrimination by employers who terminate pregnant workers during a then-known pregnancy. Such an amendment would not only expedite pregnancy discrimination cases, but also provide additional protections for pregnant workers. Moreover, once a case is brought, the burden would be on the employer to show that the adverse action did not involve discriminatory animus.”[1]

A full copy of the report can be accessed here:  https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/publications/Pregnancy_Report.pdf.

[1] The New York City Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic at CUNY Law School, Your Rights While Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or Caregiving: A Report on the 2019 Commission Public Hearing on Pregnancy and Caregiver Discrimination, p. 11, https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/publications/Pregnancy_Report.pdf (accessed Oct. 3, 2019)