SEATTLE, WA — Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a lawsuit against Providence Health & Services, alleging the healthcare provider repeatedly failed to provide legally required accommodations for pregnant and nursing employees across Washington state.

According to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in King County Superior Court, the Attorney General’s Office investigated incidents dating back to 2021 and found employees — including nurses — were routinely denied accommodations required under Washington law. The suit alleges Providence either denied accommodations outright or failed to implement approved accommodations in practice.

The complaint claims employees were denied accommodations such as more frequent opportunities to sit, schedule flexibility for prenatal appointments, lifting restrictions, and private spaces to express breast milk.

Brown said the alleged violations put workers and pregnancies at risk.

“Taking commonsense steps to keep pregnant and nursing employees and their babies safe and healthy isn’t optional — it’s the law,” Brown said in a statement. “A health care provider like Providence should know better.”

The Attorney General’s Office also alleges Providence retaliated against some employees who requested accommodations by terminating them, placing them on leave, or assigning them more difficult duties.

Providence operates more than 35 hospitals and numerous outpatient facilities across Washington, making it one of the state’s largest healthcare providers. The Attorney General’s Office said employees sometimes waited up to a month for responses to accommodation requests while continuing to work without adjustments.

The lawsuit alleges violations of both Washington’s Healthy Starts Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination. The state is seeking damages for affected employees and a court order preventing future violations.