Product News and Recalls

37-year-old Gina Vasoli was in the midst of what appeared to be a stellar career at Philly’s oldest brewery. Working her way up, she eventually became the business’ manager of marketing and communications.

If you follow local beer and her name sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve likely seen it before. She’s been the face of the company in numerous news articles, including profiles on influential women in the Philly beer market, as well as having frequently spoken to the press when Yards released new products. The sky was the limit for Vasoli, and her employment and advancement reviews never gave her any reason to be concerned about her standing within the company.

One day, Vasoli brought great news to Yards CEO Trevor Pritchett. She was pregnant. She shared the new development in her life with her direct manager, Chris Hancq, just days later. According to a story published in Philadelphia magazine, that was when everything changed.

Duties she had held were unceremoniously removed from her purview. Project management, press releases, and even the brewery’s social media presence were all reassigned. Emails asking what was happening went unanswered. Attempts at direct communication were brushed off.

Then she was fired.

The result is a civil rights lawsuit filed against the brewery as well as its CEO. The suit alleges that Vasoli was fired for no reason other than her pregnancy, although Yards asserts that the decision to let her go was a financial one.

Vasoili’s suit also provides some insight into Yards’ hiring practices. According to her lawsuit, she was the only woman in her department and only four of the company’s 15 management-level positions were held by women. Further, every member of Yards’ board, as well as its entire upper management team, were all male.

Vasoli is suing for unspecified damages. In response to the suit, Yards issued a statement saying that while the company “cannot comment on the specific merits of this case, we can say with certainty that the allegations do not align with Yards Brewing Company’s values or how we conduct business.”