Ford Motor Co. is being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly refusing to allow a south suburban woman to begin working at its stamping plant in Chicago Heights after learning she was pregnant.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Chicago federal court, alleges Edwina Smith received a conditional offer of employment from Ford in June 2019. Smith disclosed her pregnancy during a pre-employment physical in August and “met all the necessary qualifications” to be hired, the lawsuit alleges.

“Ford’s doctor cleared her for hire, but Ford did not schedule her for her first day of work,” the EEOC said in a news release.

Smith called Ford numerous times after her physical to inquire about her start date and received “varied” answers from Ford until October, when the automaker said it was no longer hiring, the suit alleges. During the same period, other new hires were sent for orientation and began working, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit alleges Ford violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and engaged in unlawful employment practices by denying Smith the job “on the basis of sex and pregnancy.”

“Ford Motor Company is an equal opportunity employer,” spokeswoman Kelli Felker said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “We prohibit discrimination against pregnant applicants and employees and are firmly committed to our anti-discrimination policies and to diversity and inclusion.”

Smith, 35, of Country Club Hills, declined to comment through an EEOC attorney.

Ford employs about 1,000 hourly workers at the stamping plant. The facility supports production at Ford’s nearby Chicago Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs. The assembly plant has about 5,000 employees working three shifts on the city’s Southeast Side.

The EEOC notified Ford in February that it determined there was “reasonable cause” to believe the automaker violated Smith’s civil rights, according to the lawsuit. The agency said it sued after first trying to reach a settlement with Ford.

The lawsuit is seeking a permanent injunction preventing Ford from denying employment to any applicant on account of their sex or pregnancy. It is also seeking back pay with interest for Smith, along with punitive damages and compensation for “emotional pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and humiliation” in amounts to be determined at trial.

rchannick@chicago tribune.com