‘This is not okay’: Former coworker says Kay County hotel employee was fired for being pregnant

By: Samson Tamijani Posted BLACKWELL, Okla. — After a former employee filed suit against operators of a Kay County hotel for allegedly firing her for being pregnant, another former worker spoke to 2 News to back up the claims.

The federal lawsuit is filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of the former employee, who told 2 News she cannot speak to media yet for litigation reasons.

The complaint filed in United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma alleges gender discrimination among other civil rights abuses against Continental Inn, LLC, the operator group of Quality Inn and at least one other hotel in Blackwell.

Mindy Hall said she worked the night shift at the Quality Inn off Interstate 35 for two years, including almost a year with the plaintiff.

“We were not really treated as humans. We were just kind of bodies that were there,” Hall told 2 News Oklahoma on Oct. 11.

The lawsuit alleges hotel management commented in April 2024 that it was “a liability” for the plaintiff to be pregnant while working the front desk, and that she’d need to quit two months before her due date in September that year.

According to the documents available here, a hotel supervisor reportedly later said the woman wouldn’t be allowed to work into her third trimester.

“He often made comments about, you know, her being lazy or why she was eating so much, or why she needed to spend so much time in the bathroom, and you know, (asking) if we all feel comfortable working around her,” Hall said. “And I was like, ‘You do realize she’s pregnant right?’ And he said, ‘No matter, no matter. She needs to just do her job.'”

Claims in the suit go on to allege that after being demoted to more physically demanding duties, the woman was fired upon returning from her scheduled weekend – three months before her due date.

Hall said she’s glad the operator group and its CEO, Senthilkumar Manoharan are directly targeted in the lawsuit, which seeks a jury trial. As of Oct. 11, a hearing hasn’t been scheduled yet.

Manoharan emailed 2 News a statement on Oct. 9 saying in full, “We disagree with the allegations in the lawsuit you shared. We intend to defend our position in court.”

Hall said since the lawsuit’s filing, word has quickly spread around town in support of her former coworker.

“She is kind of the voice of this whole town at this point,” Hall said. It’s on TikTok, it’s everywhere. And it’s one of those things where people need to know that this is not okay. And they do not have to deal with it.”

📱 More News from 2 News Oklahoma and KJRH.com

Facebook TikTok YouTube Instagram Threads X

Sign up for our Breaking News Email Newsletter to receive the latest headlines to your inbox