The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut have filed a pregnancy discrimination charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities on behalf of police officer Sarah Alicea. The complaint has been filed against the Town of Cromwell, Connecticut and alleges that it violated Alicea’s rights under federal and Connecticut law when it refused to temporarily modify Alicea’s job duties, and instead forced her to take unpaid leave for the last four months of her pregnancy.

Thousands of service members each year are estimated to have experienced some form of military sexual trauma (MST), including rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. These acts occur nearly twice as often within military ranks as they do within civilian society.