Trial News
Verdicts & Settlements: Employment Law
Gender discrimination
January 31, 2019Danielle Stumpf worked as a paramedic for Rural/Metro Ambulance. Throughout her tenure, she received positive feedback for her work performance and was promoted to a Field Training Officer (FTO) position, a job that increased her pay. Several months later, Stumpf, 29, became pregnant. She told her manager when her baby was due and requested a maternity uniform. Within a few weeks, Stumpf’s physician advised her to limit her work to 8-hour shifts. A Rural/Metro human resources representative told her that the company does not offer light-duty work to its employees. The representative told Stumpf that she needed to take family leave and removed her from the schedule.
At 18 weeks gestation, Stumpf stopped working and began an unpaid leave of absence. Her health benefits were terminated 90 days later. Additionally, she was excluded from necessary professional training during her leave of absence, which caused her to lose her paramedic certification for a period of time.
When Stumpf returned to work after her child’s birth, she was not allowed to work as an FTO. Additionally, her coworkers harassed her daily, including referring to her as “the milk truck.” Stumpf reported the harassment and was told that she needed to pump at the company’s headquarters. Stumpf complied, commuting to headquarters in traffic; however, this did not end the negative comments about her breastfeeding, including from her supervisor, who told her that she needed to “find a catheter to attach to those things.”
Stumpf lost her seniority and was forced to work the night shift until she finally received a promotion several years later.
Stumpf sued Rural/Metro Corp. and American Medical Response Ambulance Service, Inc., which acquired Rural/Metro, alleging gender discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation.
The jury awarded $415,000.
Citation: Stumpf v. Rural/Metro Corp., No. 16-2-29614-9 SEA (Wash. Super. Ct. King Cnty. Aug. 3, 2018).
Plaintiff counsel: Katherine Chamberlain, Joe Shaeffer, and Sam Kramer, all of Seattle.
