Liz was a securities analyst at a major New York City investment bank. She had been a securities analyst at that bank for five years and had received satisfactory job evaluations, so when a position as chief securities analyst came available, she applied for the job. At about the time she applied for the job, she discovered that she was pregnant. She interviewed for the chief securities analyst position, but another applicant, a female who had also worked as a securities analyst and who had received satisfactory job evaluations, but who was not pregnant, was given the job. When Liz asked the department head who made the hiring decision why she had not gotten the job, he responded:

“It didn’t bother me at all that you are pregnant. But whether or not you are going to be able to spend the time to actually perform the job and to be a mom and do all that, we factored that in, sure. We were concerned about that.”

Are those legitimate concerns? Did the investment bank act properly? Were any laws violated? If so, what laws?