US Steel Sued for Pregnancy Discrimination at Minnesota Mine

December 24, 2025

U.S. Steel, a multinational steel and iron mining company, violated federal law when it failed to provide an employee with a reasonable accommodation for her pregnancy, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, an experienced mining equipment operator at U.S. Steel’s Minntac mine in northern Minnesota needed to avoid working on the most physically jarring machinery as an accommodation during her high-risk pregnancy. Instead of temporarily allowing her to do other work within her job description, U.S. Steel placed her on an involuntary leave for several weeks. Although the company later let her come back to work, it first assigned her to work inconsistent with her medical restrictions and then removed her from her normal role altogether. She spent the rest of her pregnancy in a menial office job with reduced earning potential.

The lawsuit further alleged that U.S. Steel retaliated against her after her pregnancy, by denying her higher-paying assignments and sending her to more difficult and less desirable jobs in remote areas of the mine.

Source: EEOC

Topics Lawsuits USA Minnesota

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