FRESNO, Calif. - An international flight institution, KS Aviation, dba Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, headquartered and operated out of Atwater, Calif., will pay $60,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination charge filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.  

A female aircraft mechanic alleged to EEOC that she was discharged by the company president after she notified him she was pregnant and had a medical condition.  The woman filed a discrimination charge with EEOC in 2013.  EEOC ultimately found reasonable cause to believe the flight institution violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) by these actions.

To demonstrate its support of Title VII and the ADA, and without admitting liability, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics entered into a seven-year conciliation agreement with EEOC and the affected employee.  Aside from monetary relief and reinstatement, the academy agreed to hire a full-time human resources manager to oversee all equal employment opportunity processes, review and revise the company's anti-discrimination policies and procedures and provide training for all employees on laws enforced by EEOC.  The agreement further requires that the company maintain a record-keeping system to track and monitor complaints.  EEOC will monitor compliance with the agreement.

"We are encouraged that Sierra Academy of Aeronautics is taking these important steps to prevent workplace discrimination from occurring," said Melissa Barrios, director of EEOC's Fresno Local Office.  "Compliance with federal civil rights laws is mandatory and employers must be committed to both prevent and address such issues."

One of the six national priorities identified by EEOC's Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP) is for the Commission to address emerging and developing issues in equal employment law, including issues involving the ADA and pregnancy-related limitations, among other possible issues. 

EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  Further information about EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.