Johnson v. SCHOOL UNION, 107

Johnson v. School Union #107: Pregnancy Discrimination Case

This case involved a woman named Johnson who worked for Princeton School Department and claimed she faced pregnancy discrimination and was wrongfully terminated from her job. She filed lawsuits under both Maine state law (Maine Human Rights Act) and federal law (Title VII) against two defendants: School Union #107 and Princeton School Department.

The court reached a split decision in December 2003. The judge granted summary judgment in favor of School Union #107, meaning that entity was dismissed from the case entirely. However, the court denied summary judgment against Princeton School Department, allowing Johnson's pregnancy discrimination claims to move forward to trial against the school department.

This outcome matters for workers because it demonstrates that pregnancy discrimination claims can survive early legal challenges and proceed to trial, even when some defendants are dismissed. It shows that courts take pregnancy discrimination seriously under both state and federal law. For pregnant workers or those planning to become pregnant, this case illustrates that legal protections exist and that employers cannot easily dismiss such claims. Workers should know they have rights under multiple laws and that discrimination cases can move forward even when legal proceedings become complex with multiple defendants.