Young v. UPS

Young (plaintiff), a UPS driver, was told by her doctor not to lift more than 20 pounds during the first half of her pregnancy, well under UPS's standard 70-pound lifting requirement. UPS (defendant) told her she could not work if she couldn't meet the lifting requirement, effectively forcing her off the job during her pregnancy — even though UPS accommodated employees injured on the job, employees disabled off the job, and drivers who lost their licenses. Young sued under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Title VII; the district court granted UPS summary judgment, and the Fourth Circuit affirmed.

Whether a plaintiff can establish a prima facie case of discrimination under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act by showing that she sought an accommodation for her pregnancy, her employer refused, and the employer accommodated other persons similar in their ability or inability to work.