Lesbian Widow Sues FedEx For Refusing To Pay Survivor Benefits
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The widow of a FedEx employee is suing the company for refusing to provide her with federally required pension benefits, reports NCLR.
Lesly Frances TABOADA-HALLThe company’s decision to deny Stacey Schuett (pictured above left) benefits is solely because both spouses are women.
Schuett and Lesly Taboada-Hall (pictured right and above with their two children) were together for 30 years before they married in 2013. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2010, Taboada-Hall and Schuett married from a hospital bed in their California home in front of their two children and close family members and friends.
At the time of Taboada-Hall’s death, she had been a FedEx employee for more than 26 years.
FedEx has refused to provide the benefits because its pension plan incorporates the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), even though that law was struck down as unconstitutional in 2013.
Representing Schuett, attorney Nina Wasow said:
“Federal pension law protects same-sex spouses just as it does opposite-sex spouses. Employees who have same-sex spouses deserve the same certainty as others that their hard-earned retirement benefits will be there to protect their families.”
Also representing Schuett, NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter added:
“FedEx cannot hide behind DOMA to justify its discrimination against Ms. Schuett and her family. The Supreme Court’s decision striking down DOMA made clear that employers must recognize the spouses of their gay and lesbian employees.”