‘Indefensible.’ EEOC sues Charlotte-area company: Pregnant worker fired, miscarried
Matthews-headquartered retailer Family Dollar Stores of North Carolina is facing a federal discrimination lawsuit after firing an employee who requested time off for urgent pregnancy-related medical issues. She later miscarried.
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims Family Dollar of North Carolina broke federal laws that protect employees from pregnancy-based discrimination. The EEOC filed the lawsuit in federal court in Eastern District of North Carolina after trying and failing to reach an out-of-court settlement with the company.
“Firing a worker for requesting time off to address urgent pregnancy-related medical concerns is not only unlawful — it is indefensible,” acting EEOC General Counsel Catherine Eschbach said in a statement Monday. “To add loss of family income to the tragic loss of a baby is incredibly stressful.”
The federal agency is asking the court to order financial compensation for the former employee and to ensure the company prevents future discrimination.
Family Dollar officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The part-time customer service worker was hired at the Greenville, N.C., store on Nov. 2, 2024. Job duties include greeting and assisting customers, operating cash registers, stocking shelves and cleaning the store.
On Dec. 15, 2024, the worker missed a shift because of a medical emergency. She returned to work as scheduled two days later with a medical note for the missed shift and requested she not be required to load or unload trucks.
The store manager told her, “I can already see that you are going to be dramatic because of your pregnancy,” according to the complaint.
On Dec. 31, 2024, the employee experienced severe medical complications on her day off, according to the EEOC. Her symptoms included vaginal bleeding, high blood pressure, leg swelling and back pain.
Her doctor referred her to a high-risk clinic and advised her not to work until her appointment three days later, meaning she would miss two scheduled shifts.
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The store manager insisted she provide a doctor’s note before the end of the day, even though it was New Year’s Eve. When she was unable to immediately produce the note, the manager fired her over the phone, saying, “(I’m) going to have to go ahead and let you go,” according to the EEOC.
At her medical appointment on Jan. 3, 2025, the employee learned she had miscarried.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act went into effect in 2023. It prohibits employers from firing an employee for requested accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, unless it causes undue hardship.
The store continuously has at least 15 employees, according to the complaint.
The Family Dollar employee suffered damages, including losses in compensation and benefits, medical expenses, and anxiety and emotional distress, according to the EEOC.
“While the law lets employers ask for a doctor’s note in some situations, they can only do so when it makes sense under the circumstances,” Melinda Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District, said in Monday’s statement. The Charlotte District handles cases in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Family Dollar Stores of North Carolina is a subsidiary of the Family Dollar store chain
Founded in Charlotte in 1959 by Leon Levine with a $6,000 loan, Family Dollar grew into a major retailer with over 8,000 stores before its $9 billion sale to Dollar Tree in 2015. The acquisition ended five decades of family leadership, with CEO Howard Levine stepping down in 2016.
Dollar Tree subsequently dismantled the company’s Matthews headquarters, cutting 570 jobs before closing the site entirely in 2018. Last year, Dollar Tree sold Family Dollar to private equity firms for $1 billion.
August, Virginia-based Family Dollar permanently closed its distribution center at 10401 Monroe Road with 373 job cuts.
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This story was originally published August 31, 2026 at 1:02 PM.
