A Massachusetts woman has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Walmart of wrongly denying employee benefits for same-sex spouses.
New Bedford resident Jacqueline Cote says Walmart repeatedly denied medical insurance for her wife before 2014, when the retail giant started offering benefits for same-sex spouses.
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After Cote’s wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, the couple incurred US$150,000 in medical costs.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Boston seeks damages for the couple and any other Walmart employees who weren’t offered insurance for their same-sex spouses. The complaint says there may be hundreds or even thousands of people in that situation nationwide.
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A federal commission concludes that Walmart’s denial amounted to discrimination and said in May that Cote could sue.
Walmart didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.