We've all been there and experienced that major "uh-oh" moment when we realize we've ruined our favorite pair of undies or pants on a super heavy flow day - not only does it suck, but it's super embarrassing too. However, one woman's accidental period leak was especially awful when she was fired from her job because of it. (Um, excuse me, but WHAT?)
According to the Huffington Post, Alisha Coleman of Georgia is suing her former workplace, a 911 call center in Fort Benning, Georgia, claiming she was fired for having two heavy period leaks while on the job. Her first incident, which occurred in August of 2015, allegedly caused her to receive a disciplinary warning saying she would be fired if it ever happened again. As if that weren't bad enough, it happened again in April 2016, and she was dismissed from work. She returned to her job several days later only to find out that she'd been fired because she failed to, "practice high standards of personal hygiene and maintain a clean, neat appearance while on duty."
Coleman's case was first tried back in February, but it was dismissed by a district court that decided her pre-menopausal heavy period weren't protected by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Luckily, the ACLU has announced it will retry her case.
"Firing a woman for getting her period at work is offensive and an insult to every woman in the workplace," Andrea Young, the executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said in a statement. "A heavy period is something nearly all women will experience, especially as they approach menopause, and Alisha was shamed, demeaned and fired for it. That’s wrong and illegal under federal law. We’re fighting back."
AMEN. Hopefully the court will agree this time.