Kraken Pregnancy Discrimination Suit Alleges Retaliatory Demotion and Firing

The pregnancy discrimination lawsuit Iyigundogdu v. Payward, Inc. presents an overview of claims by a former sales executive who alleges that she was systematically marginalized and ultimately terminated after seeking fertility-related accommodations and becoming pregnant.

HRD’s Tez Romero reports that the filing describes a sequence of workplace actions that the plaintiff contends amounted to pregnancy discrimination, retaliation, and unequal pay.

Kraken has not yet responded, and no court has evaluated the merits of the allegations.

According to the complaint, Ayse Iyigundogdu joined Kraken in 2018, quickly rose through senior sales roles, and managed major institutional relationships. The background offered in the filing recounts her rapid promotions, key contributions to institutional sales, and development of a substantial custody-services pipeline.

The complaint asserts that her circumstances shifted after a management change in 2023, when her new supervisor allegedly redirected significant responsibilities to male colleagues with whom he had prior professional ties.

The filing states that her request for expanded in vitro fertilization benefits became known to leadership in early 2024, followed by disclosures to her manager that she would require time off for treatment.

According to the complaint, during her medical appointments and associated absences, senior leaders contacted her clients directly, removed her from account-related meetings, and reassigned business relationships.

The filing describes an unauthorized client communication by an executive that purportedly raised compliance concerns and was attributed to her. It states that a performance review covering a prior period contained criticism she disputes, and that customary peer-review practices were not followed. 

She became pregnant in May 2024 and was informed of her termination in July, with no explanation provided. The lawsuit additionally asserts significant pay disparities, irregular or halted commissions, and alleged wage violations.

Lawyers concerned with employment matters, particularly around pregnancy discrimination, might study this seemingly extreme case for guidance on documenting performance management processes, reviewing compensation structures for consistency, and properly handling benefits-related information when medical or reproductive-health disclosures influence employment decisions.