Refusal to Accommodate High-Risk Pregnancy Resulted in Loss of Twins, Lawsuit Claims
HOUSTON — Employment law firm Jackson Spencer Law has filed a pregnancy discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against Trinity Services Group, Inc. and TKC Holdings, Inc. on behalf of Sherri Denise Collins of Houston. The defendants, which provide food services to correctional institutions, refused to honor Collins’ request for an accommodation, resulting in the tragic miscarriages of her infant son and daughter.
“The callous and malicious treatment Sherri endured is unacceptable and illegal,” said Jennifer Spencer, Collins’ attorney. “Trinity’s actions not only violated her legal rights but also subjected her and her family to unimaginable suffering and loss. We are determined to seek justice for Sherri and her babies.”
The lawsuit, which alleges discrimination, wrongful termination, and retaliation based on her pregnancy, disability, and her complaints of unfair treatment, details shocking allegations of neglect and hostility by her employers.
Collins began working for Trinity as a Kitchen Supervisor in August 2021, receiving consistent praise for her work. In February 2022, she became pregnant with twins, and her physician deemed hers a “high-risk pregnancy.” Collins requested a reasonable accommodation, which was initially approved, to avoid heavy lifting. Shortly thereafter, however, that accommodation was revoked, and Collins was demoted to cook, a position requiring her to lift more than 50 pounds regularly. According to the lawsuit, no reason was given for the demotion.
When she began experiencing severe abdominal pain because of the lifting, Collins repeatedly begged her supervisors for help and accommodation but was disregarded and told she was “too hormonal,” according to the lawsuit.
On May 24, 2022, Collins began hemorrhaging after lifting a large sack of cake mix. The emergency room physician informed her that her cervix had ruptured. She ultimately suffered two miscarriages, losing both her twins.
Collins filed a workers compensation claim, which languished and was not properly elevated to the Texas Workforce Commission, the lawsuit alleges. Within a few months, her hours were cut, and on October 27, 2022, she was terminated.
Collins seeks a range of remedies, including reinstatement or compensation for lost wages, damages for emotional distress, punitive damages, and the implementation of policies to prevent future discrimination and harassment.
The case is Sherri Denise Collins v. Trinity Services Group, Inc. and TKC Holdings, Inc., No. 4:24-cv-1822, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston.
