[Another day, another lawsuit settled. In an unprecedented move Kaiser Permanente admitted no liability, even while handing over the check. Ha ha. That was supposed to be funny, but it's difficult to see the humor when you realize that there are real human lives that are being disrupted -- and in some cases ruined or ended -- because this organization has taken refusing to accept responsibility for its actions to the level of absurdity. It's this simple: you can't correct problems that you won't admit exist.]

From the Associated Press, via Forbes.com:

Kaiser to Pay to Settle Lawsuit

By JAYMES SONG 11.07.07, 9:48 AM ET

HONOLULU - Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. will pay $180,000 to a labor and delivery nurse to settle a lawsuit that claimed the woman’s promotion was rescinded after she disclosed her pregnancy, officials said Tuesday.

Margaret McIlroy was offered a promotional transfer in 2003 from Kaiser Permanente Southern California to a clinic on Maui. Two weeks before starting the job, she disclosed her pregnancy and in less than 24 hours, she was told the offer had been withdrawn, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

“Standing up for my civil and God-given rights has come at an incalculable and a never-ending cost to my family and myself, but I felt strongly that I had to speak out,” McIlroy said in a statement.

McIlroy, who was 44 at the time, eventually lost her job. She and Kaiser also entered into a separate confidential agreement to settle her non-civil rights claims.

“Pregnancy discrimination strikes its victims at a time when they are quite vulnerable,” said Joan Ehrlich, EEOC’s San Francisco district director.

In a statement, Kaiser said it has always been an advocate for fair hiring practices and respects and adheres to all equal opportunity requirements.

“From the outset of this case, we have maintained that we followed all state and federal hiring laws; however we agreed to resolve the matter in the interest of all parties concerned,” Kaiser said.

It added that the settlement was reached with no admission of liability on Kaiser Hawaii’s part.

Besides the monetary settlement, Kaiser agreed to revamp its pregnancy policies and training programs. The company must also provide annual reports to the EEOC detailing its investigation and resolution of any internal complaints of pregnancy discrimination in Hawaii.

Kaiser, based in Oakland, Calif., serves nine states and operates 16 clinics on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.

“We have an outstanding record of supporting and caring for staff and physicians throughout their pregnancies and as they transition back to work,” the company said. “We will augment our already extensive policies and training programs to better reflect what our actual practices have always been.”

A record 4,901 pregnancy discrimination complaints were filed with the EEOC last year.