A Florida-based dental restoration product manufacturer accused of violating U.S. law by firing a recently hired employee because she was pregnant has agreed to settle a lawsuit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed against the company.
iPro Dental Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale, FL, agreed to pay $30,000 to an office assistant, who has not been identified. iPro Dental reportedly terminated the woman a few days after learning she was pregnant, according to the EEOC press release dated April 7.
In addition to paying the damages to the terminated employee, iPro Dental Laboratory will hire a third-party equal employment opportunity coordinator to conduct investigations into complaints of discrimination and shadow the company’s interviews to provide feedback on best practices.
Furthermore, the company will create a hotline for employees to report discrimination, create policies about pregnancy discrimination and handle accommodation requests from pregnant employees, provide annual training to all employees, and submit biannual reports to the EEOC regarding discrimination complaints and requests for accommodation due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, according to the press release.
In September 2025, the EEOC filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against iPro Dental, claiming it violated Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including pregnancy. The suit was filed after a prelitigation settlement could not be reached through the commission’s administrative conciliation process.
In January 2023, iPro Dental hired the woman, describing her as “perfect” for the office assistant position at its Fort Lauderdale location. The woman started working on a Monday, informed the company of her pregnancy on Tuesday, and on Friday, she was terminated without ever being disciplined for her work performance, according to the press release.
“Assumptions and stereotypes about pregnant workers’ ability to perform have no place in a fair and equitable workplace,” EEOC Miami District Director Evangeline Hawthorne said in the press release. “The EEOC will continue to stand up for the rights of all employees to work in an environment free from discrimination.”
