Smithfield Fresh Meats Sued Over Pregnant Worker’s Firing

Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp., which operates the world’s largest pork processing facility in Tar Heel, North Carolina, is facing a federal lawsuit that claims discriminating against a pregnant employee, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The EEOC accuses Smithfield violated federal law by not providing a reasonable accommodation for pregnancy-related medical restrictions, by allegedly forcing the worker onto unpaid leave, and ultimately firing her.

According to the lawsuit, the employee notified Smithfield of her pregnancy shortly after being hired. Following a workplace accident, she developed complications that required medical treatment. Her doctor imposed restrictions, including a lifting limitation, which she reported to her employer. Instead of granting a reasonable accommodation, the EEOC lawsuit says Smithfield told her the company does not provide pregnancy-related accommodations. The employee was placed on unpaid leave and dismissed two weeks later.

The EEOC contends this conduct violates both the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy and related conditions unless it causes undue hardship, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits pregnancy discrimination.

The suit, EEOC v. Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp., Case No. 7:25-cv-01410-M, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina after the agency attempted to resolve the matter through its conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking monetary compensation, including punitive and compensatory damages, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future violations.

“The PWFA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless it causes an undue hardship,” said Melinda C. Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “Further, the law prohibits employers from forcing employees to take unpaid leave when other reasonable accommodations are available.”

The EEOC’s Charlotte District Office, which covers North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, is leading the litigation. Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp. is part of Smithfield Foods, a Chinese-owned pork producer and food-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency responsible for investigating and litigating employment discrimination cases in the private sector.