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The Pleasanton Unified School District is set to pay $60,000 as part of an agreement to resolve the civil rights case brought by a former custodian who said she was illegally fired after requesting accommodations at work during her pregnancy.
The settlement agreement, which does not identify the complainant, was announced this week by the California Civil Rights Department — the state agency that enforces civil rights laws in California.
“There’s no excuse for firing someone because of their pregnancy,” CRD Director Kevin Kish stated in the press release.
“California law is clear that pregnant workers have the right to ask for accommodations and take time off,” Kish added. “Employers have a responsibility to all of us to ensure the civil rights of their workers are protected. If they don’t, our department is always prepared to take action.”
According to a press release Wednesday from the department, even though the district is not admitting fault, the settlement agreement also stipulates that PUSD must conduct a comprehensive review of its anti-discrimination and pregnancy disability leave policies, and must provide training to staff working in human resources.
In a statement to the Pleasanton Weekly, PUSD safety and communications coordinator Susanne Frey confirmed the custodian no longer works at the district. She also reaffirmed the district’s commitment to following the agreement’s stipulations.
“Pleasanton Unified School District is committed to providing a respectful and equitable workplace and complying with all applicable employment and civil rights laws,” Frey said. “The District resolved this matter without admitting wrongdoing and will complete the policy review and training required under the settlement … Because this involves a confidential personnel matter, the District cannot comment further.”
According to its press release, the state department received a complaint against PUSD back in 2025. The complaint came from a former custodian who alleged she was “unlawfully denied work accommodations for her pregnancy and ultimately fired because of her request”.
“According to the complaint, she let her supervisor know that she was pregnant and provided a medical note explaining her need for accommodations, including cutting back on her time standing and walking, avoiding bending at the waist or twisting her spine, and limiting the weight of objects lifted to no more than 20 pounds,” the state department stated.
Under California state law, employers must “reasonably accommodate your medical needs related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions”.
After sharing her accommodation needs, the worker alleged that her supervisor “immediately notified her that they did not have any work for her until after her baby was born”.
“A human resources staff member later confirmed that she had been terminated because the school district could not accommodate her — even though a male custodian was allegedly put on light duty after a non-pregnancy related disability,” the state department stated.
Upon receiving the complaint, the CRD conducted an investigation and gave PUSD the opportunity to resolve the allegation via mediation, which led to the settlement agreement in question.
Without admitting wrongdoing the district, as stipulated in the agreement, agreed to pay $60,000 to the complainant — about $40,000 will go to the former employee to compensate for “non-economic damages” while the other $20,000 is to cover her attorney fees.
The money must be paid within 60 days of the settlement agreement being approved by the school board, according to the agreement.
The agreement also states that PUSD will conduct a “comprehensive review of its antidiscrimination and pregnancy disability leave policies to ensure compliance with state law” and will issue any revised policies, if necessary.
In addition, PUSD must also provide training to the former custodian’s supervisor and human resources staff on “civil rights laws, with an emphasis on pregnancy disability protections”. Lastly, the district agreed to report to the state department regarding compliance with the terms of the agreement.
In exchange for all these stipulations, the complainant will have to close their complaint with the CRD and agree to not take any further legal action against PUSD based on the allegations. Both parties signed the settlement agreement toward the beginning of this month.
