A former New York Mets executive has filed a federal lawsuit against the baseball franchise alleging violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act and the New York State Human Rights Law, claiming that she was harassed and ultimately dismissed for being pregnant.
The complaint, filed by Leigh Castergine in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, charges Jeff Wilpon, part-owner of the Mets and chief operating officer, with discrimination based on her gender, pregnancy and marital status.
For example, Castergine claims that Wilpon:
- told one of her colleagues that he is “old-fashioned and thinks [she] should be married before having a baby;
- walked into a meeting of Mets’ senior executives and leaned over Castergine to see if she was wearing an engagement ring;
- publicly announced “two rules” regarding Castergine’s pregnancy: (1) don’t touch her belly; and (2) don’t ask how she’s doing; she’s not sick, she’s pregnant; and
- told Castergine that she should tell her boyfriend that when she gets a ring, she will make more money and get a bigger bonus.
Background
Castergine worked for the New York Mets front office for nearly four years and was promoted to senior vice president of ticket sales and service in December 2013. In March 2014, she was profiled in an industry publication where her peers described her as “the next female president in the sports industry.”
Castergine earned annual six-figure bonuses based on meeting certain sales goals. For example, in 2013, she earned a $125,000 bonus because the Mets generated more than $84 million in ticket sales.
In August 2013, Castergine learned she was pregnant and told her employers in late September. She wrote in her complaint that Wilpon, son of Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon, wasn’t pleased about the news because, in his view, she should not have a baby without getting married first.
In her complaint Castergine described her pregnancy as “difficult,” with severe morning sickness and what eventually was diagnosed as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a rare condition that required her to be induced into labor to avoid a stillbirth.
In February 2014, during an advertising meeting with several male executives (plus Castergine), Wilpon allegedly stated: “I am as morally opposed to putting an e-cigarette sign in my ballpark as I am to Leigh [Castergine] having this baby without being married.”
In her complaint, Castergine said that no one in the meeting, including the team’s general counsel, challenged Wilpon’s discriminatory statement, and that she felt humiliated.
Wilpon also allegedly told one of Castergine’s colleagues that “she is a senior vice president now; people would respect her more if she was married.”
No Support from HR?
In early March 2014, less than a week before giving birth, Castergine complained to human resources about how she was being treated, and allegedly was urged to quit her job.
As a result of what she called Wilpon’s discriminatory treatment and HR’s lack of support, Castergine said she began seeking other career opportunities while on maternity leave and met with an executive from a professional hockey franchise. Wilpon allegedly told her that it would not be a “big deal” if she left.
Castergine returned from FMLA leave on June 1, 2014, less than three months after she gave birth.
Castergine says in July 2014 she again approached HR about the discrimination she was experiencing and again was urged to quit.
In early August 2014, the Mets for the first time approached Castergine about purported “issues” with her performance, she said.
On Aug. 20, 2014, Wilpon fired Castergine for a “failure to meet her sales goals.” Wilpon offered Castergine a severance package that included the opportunity to remain employed through the end of the 2014 season, but instead of agreeing to the severance agreement, Castergine hired counsel and asserted her discrimination and retaliation claims. She seeks injunctive, declaratory, compensatory, and punitive damages.
The team said the claims were without merit and that it maintains strong policies against any and all forms of discrimination.