A Minneapolis park employee faced an unthinkable dilemma: return to work just weeks after a premature birth or face a staggering demand to repay over $13,000 in maternity leave benefits. This shocking ultimatum ignited a firestorm of public outrage and quickly escalated into a high-stakes battle over employee rights and corporate responsibility.

Indica Medeiros, a dedicated park maintenance worker since 2020, welcomed her baby last fall, but the infant’s early arrival necessitated intensive and ongoing medical attention. Both Indica and her husband, who remains employed by the Park Board, quickly realized that a timely return to her demanding job was simply not a feasible option given their child’s critical health needs.

Just ten days before her scheduled return, Medeiros informed the Park Board of her decision to resign, choosing instead to become a full-time caregiver for her two young children, both under the age of two. Her choice, however, was met with a harsh consequence rooted in the Park Board’s existing policy regarding paid parental leave.

Months later, the Minneapolis Park Board stunned Medeiros by dispatching a $13,400 invoice, aggressively demanding the full repayment of her parental leave benefits. The agency cited a contentious clause in their policy, which stipulated that employees must return to work for a minimum of four weeks post-maternity leave or forfeit their benefits entirely.

Medeiros’s attempts to utilize her accrued sick and vacation days to gain crucial time for childcare arrangements were flatly denied by the Park Board. Instead, her employment was terminated, and the substantial bill was promptly sent, leaving the family in a precarious financial situation already burdened by medical expenses for their premature child.

The family’s struggle to find suitable and affordable childcare underscored the immense pressures faced by working parents. With no grandparents available for early morning care and no daycare facilities within their budget opening before the 6 AM report time for parkkeepers, Medeiros’s decision to prioritize her children’s well-being became an unavoidable necessity, highlighting the “outrageous” costs of childcare.

In response to the egregious demand, Laborers Union Local 363, representing park keepers, swiftly filed an unfair labor practice charge. The union accused the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) of unilaterally enforcing a policy that had never been properly negotiated, escalating the dispute into a significant labor issue that garnered widespread public attention.

Facing intense union pressure, mounting negative publicity, and the looming deadline of Minnesota’s sweeping new paid family leave law set to take effect in 2026, the MPRB was ultimately forced to retreat. In a significant reversal, the Board officially canceled its demand for repayment and committed to overhauling its parental leave policy to align with future state mandates.

Medeiros expressed profound relief following the resolution, stating that the thought of repaying the “massive bill” on top of hospital expenses had been terrifying. She shared her shock at the unforeseen policy, which had caused immense stress for her family, and conveyed her gratitude for the union’s unwavering support, allowing her to now fully concentrate on her family and children’s health.