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LOUISIANA RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Esthetician accuses Woodhouse Day Spa of discrimination over pregnancy

Pregnancy test

NEW ORLEANS – A St. Tammany Parish woman says her employer, Woodhouse Day Spa, discriminated against her because she was pregnant.

Melinda Breland filed a lawsuit Jan. 4 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Woodhouse Day Spa, Dew Spa LLC, Dew Spa II, Tammy Torres Bridges, Deneb Warner and Erin Warner, alleging violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

According to the complaint, Breland began working for the defendants as a licensed esthetician in May 2013. The suit claims Bridges overbooked Breland for nail tech work that conflicted with her esthetician clients, and delayed approval by several weeks for Breland’s time off for a prenatal exam for her possibly high-risk pregnancy.

After being hospitalized for pregnancy complications, Breland says she asked to be reassigned to only work as an esthetician, rather than a nail tech, which she claims she did not have a license to do. Woodhouse and its owners allegedly refused and terminated the plaintiff on May 10.

Breland seeks a jury trial, punitive and compensatory damages and reinstatement or front pay. She is represented by attorney Dale E. Williams of the Law Office of Dale Edward Williams in Covington.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-CV-00030

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