A New Jersey woman claims she was fired by Mars North America—maker of M&Ms, Snickers and Skittles—because she was a lesbian, and took leave time during her pregnancy.
Theresa Kwiecinski has filed a discrimination lawsuit in stemming from her September 2011 termination from the candy company, which she says was precipitated by her co-workers discovering she was gay.
Kwiecinski, who worked for the company for a decade, says things began to change dramatically earlier that year, after co-workers met her partner and daughter at a conference. When she returned to the office, Kwiecinski says, her workload increased dramatically.
A year prior, when Kwiecinski was coping with a difficult pregnancy, she said her supervisor marked her performance as “below expectations” because her condition limited her ability to travel. She was marked down again when hospitalizations meant she missed more work.
The supervisor then put Kwiecinski on a performance-improvement plan that proved impossible to maintain—eventually resulting in her termination.
Shadeaux
OH GOD! I hope this is not true! I just bought M&M’s for the movies this weekend, but I will have no shame in taking this sh it back.
Charli Girl
hmmm…weird bc i think mars has a good score onHRC buying guide
Brian
Lesbian and pregnant? Sheesh, this is why I don’t want women in the gay rights movement.
Lesbians tend to be sell-outs. Can’t stand ’em.
Dakotahgeo
I am heartened that a lawsuit for a few million dollars with lead her manager to rue the day either one of them was born. Nothing short of rehiring Ms. Theresa as her ‘former” supervisor’s new manager will fully undo the damage Mars has done to this lady. Go get ’em, Theresa!!!
1EqualityUSA
Now all we need is some backwoods Republican reminding her that she wouldn’t become pregnant if she kept the M&M between her knees….”M&M’s will shut the whole thing down”