Oprah’s OWN Network Hit With Sex, Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

In a lawsuit filed Friday at the Los Angeles Superior Court, former OWN employee Carolyn Hommel claims she was a victim of sex and pregnancy discrimination, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Hommel was reportedly hired in 2010 as senior director of scheduling and acquisitions at the Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications owned network. She claims that even though she was on the fast track to becoming a vice president, she was replaced by a temp when she was forced to take a pregnancy-related medical leave.

Upon her return to work, Hommel alleges that she was slowly stripped of her duties, which were being given to the temp, and claims to have even been excluded from important company meetings.

Just one month after giving birth to her baby girl in March of last year, Hommel contends she was laid off by the powers-that-be at the famed network. She claims that she was even advised to apply for the vice president job but did not get it. Hommel also states in the suit that her boss, Michael Garner, concocted a performance review that downplayed her duties, thereby not making her a viable candidate for the vice president spot.

Garner is also named in the lawsuit.

On top of the sex and pregnancy discrimination allegations, the lawsuit is also claiming disability discrimination, failure to prevent discrimination, retaliation and willful failure to pay wages upon discharge or termination. Hommel, who insists her pregnancy and subsequent medical leave are what led to her being demoted and then laid off, is seeking unspecified damages.