A Marysville woman says she was fired because she is pregnant.
She worked at Jersey Mike's Sub Shop in Marysville.
Kameisha Denton realized she hadn't been assigned shifts, so she asked about that and got a text message from her manager that she'd been fired, after telling her boss she was pregnant.
She couldn’t fathom that her superior would send such a message, “I was just like in shock, it took me a minute to face reality I was like this is really happening.” Denton said being fired after asking for maternity leave was discrimination.
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Her baby is due in December and recently told her manager at Jersey Mike's-- when she didn't see herself slated for shifts, she asked her manager and sent him messages Tuesday evening she got this response which she read out loud:
“It's not a good time to have somebody who is leaving for maternity leave in several months anyways.”
Denton posted on Facebook. Her post has been shared and commented on so much, she can't keep up with responses, “I knew that it wasn't ok,” and that’s the reason she has spoken out even more.
KIRO 7 spoke to the owner of Jersey Mike's, Tim Trieb, who didn't go on camera, but was apologetic and said he offered Denton her job back; she declined.
He said the manager who sent Denton the message has resigned, adding, “(it) should have never ever happened…It's our policy to treat everybody equally."
KIRO 7 looked at Washington Law which clearly says:
"It is an unfair practice for an employer, because of pregnancy or childbirth, to: refuse to hire or promote, terminate, or demote, a woman."
Denton now said her fortunes are shifting, “message after message employees wanting me to work for them...I look at it as a blessing.”
She also said she wants to send a message to other women like her, “it's ok to speak up because they probably felt embarrassed, mixed emotions about it because a lot of people think that this is ok when it's not.”
KIRO 7 did reach out to the manager who sent the text message -- but he did not return our call.