A WNBA star is taking a bold step to protect the rights of pregnant players.
A WNBA player is taking a bold step to protect the rights of pregnant players by filing a lawsuit against the league she’s currently playing for.
The contract included “an agreement by the Las Vegas Aces to cover private tuition costs” for Hamby’s daughter, Amaya. It offered team-provided housing, which Hamby used for her family to assist with childcare duties while she was away traveling for games. However, weeks after signing the contract, Hamby learned she was pregnant with her second child.
The suit alleges that Hamby “experienced notable changes in the way she was treated by Las Vegas Aces staff” after she made her pregnancy public by informing Aces coach Becky Hammon and General Manager Natalie Williams. The change in treatment included withholding the promised tuition relief for her daughter’s school and her alleged forced removal from the team-provided housing.
“The WNBA is, at its core, a workplace, and federal laws have long shielded pregnant women from discrimination on the job,” Hamby’s legal team said in a statement.
“The world champion Aces exiled Dearica Hamby for becoming pregnant, and the WNBA responded with a light tap on the wrist. Every potential mother in the league is now on notice that childbirth could change their career prospects overnight. That can’t be right in one of the most prosperous and dynamic women’s professional sports leagues in America.”
Hamby filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, claiming to have suffered “a loss of reputational prestige and brand value” and “loss of marketing and/or endorsement opportunities” after her removal from the Aces. She is seeking damages through a jury trial.
Source: Black Enterprise
