Woman Sues Pittsburgh Penguins, Claiming She Was Fired For Taking Breaks To Pump Breast Milk
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A woman is suing the Pittsburgh Penguins, claiming she was fired because she needed to take breaks to pump breast milk for her newborn.
Angela Gubala is a former youth hockey coordinator suing the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Community Rink Operating GP, LLC, a company that partners with the Penguins and runs the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
According to the lawsuit, Gubala was unlawfully fired in September. When she returned from maternity leave, she was allowed two 15-minute breaks every day to pump, the suit claims.
She was given a list of employees who could cover for her during these breaks, but the lawsuit says her co-workers wouldn't answer or would allegedly refuse to take over.
The lawsuit says she tried to pump breast milk during her lunch breaks in hopes that her co-workers would cover for her then, but there wasn't an area designating to pumping.
When she tried to take her concerns to her supervisor, the suit alleges her supervisor responded by saying "It is what it is." The lawsuit accuses a human representative telling her, "Do you want to coach or do you want to pump?"
Gubala says she was told she was fired for poor performance, but she claims she was fired unfairly and that employees who were not pumping were treated better than her.
The suit is seeking a jury trial, monetary damages and Gubala's job back.
