Justice Dept. settles pregnancy case

WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department and the Bryan County, Okla., Sheriff's Department reached a settlement in a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit, the department said.

The complaint alleged the sheriff engaged in employment discrimination against women by requiring the reassignment of female officers working in the jail to administrative duties when they were pregnant, violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday in a news release. Title VII prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or sex, including pregnancy.

The consent decree, which still needs court approval, bars the sheriff from discriminating against any employee or applicant of the Bryan County Sheriff's Office, including the jail, on the basis of sex and pregnancy, the Justice Department said. The consent decree also requires the sheriff to implement a policy prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and to provide mandatory training on the policy.