Woman Claims Cosmetic Company Fired Her After She Refused to Get an Abortion

LOS ANGELES, CA - A North Hollywood company is being sued by a former employee who alleges she was fired two days after she told a supervisor that she was pregnant and was told she should consider an abortion.

Vanessa Campos, 25, of Lancaster is seeking unspecified damages from Xtetic World Inc., which bills itself on its website as a "boutique aesthetic solution company" representing "the most prestigious brands in pharmaceutical skin care."

The suit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges wrongful termination, pregnancy discrimination, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination harassment and retaliation and a violation of the state Government Code regarding pregnancy disability leave.

An Xtetic World representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Campos began working at Xtetic World in March 2015. Her lawyer, Timothy Kearns, said her job title was social media coordinator.

The plaintiff found out the next month she was pregnant, according to her court papers. She was happy and wanted to let her new employer know the news so they could make future scheduling adjustments while she was on leave, the suit states.

But Campos alleges that when she told a manager identified only as Mira about the news last April 14, the other woman said, "We need somebody who is committed to being here full-time. Have you thought about getting an abortion?"

"(Campos) was shocked and frankly sickened at that statement," according to the suit, which says she told her boss in reply, "No, I plan on keeping my baby. What you said was not right."

Campos was fired two days later, even though no one told her she had done anything wrong at work or been disciplined in writing, according to her lawsuit.

It is "clearly no coincidence" that Campos was fired so soon after informing the manager that she was pregnant and being told in response that the company wanted someone to commit to being at work full-time, the suit alleges.

The complaint alleges Campos was targeted for losing her job for coming forward about her pregnancy, which would require future leave to give birth and bond with the child.

Kearns said Campos gave birth to a daughter last fall and had looked for work, but found jobs to be "a bit difficult to find."

City News Service; Photo: www.pexels.com