Stauffer Communications Inc. She became pregnant and then was fired. Gudenkauf sued in federal court in Kansas, claiming violations of just about every federal statute on employment and additional breaches of state law. Only her complaint under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, however, made it to the jury. Stauffer Communications, the jurors decided, fired Gudenkauf because of her pregnancy. The panel ruled, however, that Stauffer would have fired her whether she was pregnant or not.
Discrimination law is about motives.
It's not what you did that counts. It's why you did it. Generally, employment actions are lawful, unless they arise from a discriminatory motive such as race, color, gender, national origin and ethnicity, religion and, of course, pregnancy. Because the jury found mixed motives on Stauffer's part, it could not award damages to Gudenkauf. However, the same statute that prohibits damage awards in mixed-motive cases authorizes awards of fees to plaintiffs' attorneys.