The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a federal lawsuit against an Atlanta-area plumbing company, accusing the business of firing a customer service representative because she was pregnant.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, targets Guice Services Inc., which does business as Rooter ProXpress and provides plumbing services throughout metro Atlanta.
According to the complaint, the employee was experiencing pregnancy-related medical issues including high blood pressure, nausea, and round ligament pain. In May 2024, she told her direct supervisor she would need to take the next day off to manage her symptoms.
The following day, a Rooter ProXpress manager said he wanted to “get rid of” the employee because she was “pregnant and having a baby,” the lawsuit alleges. The company fired the employee shortly after.
The EEOC claims the firing violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which bars employers from discriminating against workers because of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
“Firing an employee because she is pregnant is indefensible and unlawful,” Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District, said. “Federal law plainly prohibits employers from firing employees because of their pregnancy.”
The agency said it filed suit — EEOC v. Guice Services Inc. d/b/a Rooter ProXpress, Case No. 1:26-cv-4040 — only after attempting to resolve the matter through its administrative conciliation process, a required step before litigation.
Darrell E. Graham, director of the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office, said the agency remains focused on protecting pregnant workers.
“Pregnancy is protected in the workplace by federal law,” Graham said. “The EEOC is committed to robustly enforcing employees’ rights during pregnancy.”
The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate discrimination claims against private employers under federal law. The Atlanta district office covers Georgia and 12 counties in South Carolina.
It was not immediately clear whether Rooter ProXpress had retained legal counsel or filed a response to the lawsuit.
