The  agency had charged that Kohler discriminated against a female sales executive  at its Atlanta Branch Office, which deals with plumbing products, by firing her  due to her gender and her pregnancy. The  lawsuit said that showroom executive Rachel Lee was placed on probation,  despite her qualifications and performance record, and then fired less than one  month prior to her delivery date.

Pregnancy  discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended  by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The EEOC filed suit in November 2006 in  U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after first attempting  to reach a pre-litigation settlement.

The  consent decree settling the suit, in addition to the monetary relief of $175,000,  includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training, reporting and  postings. In the suit and consent  decree, Kohler denied any liability or wrongdoing.