Brittany Etkins sued Dive North Hills LLC on October 24, 2024, accusing the Lawrenceville Dive Bar & Grille operator of firing her on January 10, 2024, because she was pregnant. The company moved for summary judgment on all claims.
U.S. District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand denied the restaurant chain’s motion for summary judgment on pregnancy discrimination claims brought general manager who alleges she was pushed out of her job weeks after telling her supervisor she was pregnant.
The court concluded that a reasonable juror could find that Etkins presented evidence that her relationship with Dive North Hills General Manager Derek Bell “deteriorated” soon after she disclosed her pregnancy on November 3, 2023, and that Bell subsequently pushed the company’s owners to fire her. The owners texted each other on January 6, 2024, with owner Clint Kuskie writing: “I was hoping she would initiate the process but doesn’t look like it.”
Dive North Hills argued the termination stemmed from Etkins reading a confidential email about a manager bonus program on Bell’s computer in December 2023. But Etkins countered that employees regularly used Bell’s computer and that she was never formally reprimanded for the email incident.
The court granted summary judgment on Etkins’ retaliation claims under Title VII and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, finding she never actually requested pregnancy-related accommodations — only intended to. The court also dismissed her claims under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which took effect on June 27, 2023, because the record lacks evidence she communicated a need for accommodations to her employer.
Dive North Hills is one of six Dive Bar & Grille locations owned by Kuskie, Gordon Judge, and Thomas Michael.