March 28, 2024
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Bangor woman favored in state rights probe

AUGUSTA – An investigator working for the Maine Human Rights Commission recommends the panel rule that a Bangor woman was discriminated against when her job was eliminated while she was on maternity leave.

The commission is expected to act on the complaint when it meets Aug. 6.

According to investigator Robert Beauchesne’s report, Stacey Hart of Bangor worked for DeVenture Health Partners, also of Bangor, from December 2002 until July 2005. The company provides transcription services for hospitals, clinics and doctors. Hart was employed as a training manager.

In her complaint, Hart alleges that once she announced she was pregnant in late 2004, the company’s owner, identified in the report as “M.D.,” told her he would change her job to a part-time position in June.

Hart left on unpaid maternity leave on July 26, 2005.

“When I contacted [the company] about returning to work, I was informed [in August 2005] that they had no work available for me,” she told the investigator.

Hart also claimed the company used a man to take over her duties while she was on leave, and eventually gave her job to that employee.

DeVenture Health Partners has maintained that it did not discriminate against Hart, and that her job was eliminated because the company’s client base did not grow as anticipated.

Hart told the investigator that once M.D. learned she was pregnant, “he began having my assistant take over more and more of my job … even though M.D. never mentioned any change in duties.”

She also claimed M.D. “became more and more verbally abusive toward me,” leaving Hart to suspect “he was trying to get me to quit.” M.D. then cut her hours.

The company offered Hart a different position two weeks before she was scheduled to return from maternity leave, she told the investigator, and she expressed interest in accepting the new job.

But in its response to the investigator, DeVenture said Hart did not respond to the offer. Beauchesne concluded “it is more likely than not that [Hart’s] pregnancy was at least a motivating factor in [DeVenture’s] termination decision.”

If the commission supports the investigator’s conclusions, the complaint proceeds to a conciliation hearing. If that process fails, the complaint can then be heard in Superior Court, where a final settlement can include monetary damages.

Correction: This article appeared on page B3 in the Coastal edition.

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