(WASHINGTON, DC) – Lakiesha Nelson, a former XPO Logistics employee who spoke out about sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions for pregnant workers at a XPO-Verizon facility in Memphis, Tennessee, filed a charge on Monday, Dec. 9, 2019 with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging unlawful termination and retaliation.

“My co-workers and I stood up and exposed the terrible conditions at the XPO-Verizon facility in Memphis, including sexual harassment, dangerous heat, pregnancy discrimination and worker abuses,” said Nelson. “In return, XPO and Verizon shut down our facility and cut our jobs. I will not be intimidated by these corporate bullies.”

Nelson alleges that XPO violated federal law by closing the Memphis Verizon facility as a way to punish the workers who spoke out about workplace conditions. Nelson alleges that XPO further retaliated against her by failing to offer severance pay or reassignment to another facility, which was offered to employees who did not speak. Nelson spoke out against XPO’s pregnancy policies in a February 14, 2019 New York Times article, “XPO Logistics Will Close Warehouse Where Some Pregnant Workers Miscarried.”

“Women endured unlawful sexual harassment and pregnant workers at the XPO facility in Memphis suffered well documented health hazards at work. Lakiesha Nelson spoke out about these unlawful conditions and as a result, XPO closed their facility costing Ms. Nelson and 400 other workers their jobs,” said Ellen Eardley, a partner at the law firm Mehri & Skalet, PLLC. “Ms. Nelson is seeking justice to send a clear signal that companies cannot close entire facilities or fire employees for speaking out.”

 

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