Indiana residents might be interested to hear that the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is facing a gender-based discrimination lawsuit. Various women who worked for the company alleged that the firm discriminated against them in pay and promotions because of their gender. The attorneys for the women suing the industry giant requested that the company turn over any internal documents it had pertaining to gender-bias complaints by its female workers.
A U.S. Magistrate judge ruled that the company must turn over any documentation concerning complaints that could conceivably be related to discrimination against women in any of its banking divisions. Additionally, the information that must be turned over must encompass all complaints made by female employers, not simply the ones lodged by associates, vice presidents and managing directors. The judge stated that all the people who submitted complaints could have suffered from the negative impacts of gender discrimination, directly or indirectly.
The plaintiffs of the lawsuit against the firm include a former associate, a former vice president and a former managing director. They alleged that the firm gave its managers, most of whom were men, unchecked discretion over their subordinates when assigning responsibilities to them. For instance, the former vice president recalled an incident from 1997 at a dinner for a male employee who had received a promotion to managing director. She said that after the firm-sponsored dinner, they were shuffled to a topless bar in Manhattan. Later on, a male colleague pinned her against a wall outside her apartment and kissed and groped her.
She stated that after she reported the incident, she was subject to hostility and discrimination. While her career growth became stagnant, the male colleague’s soared. An employment law attorney might be able to assist employees who feel that they have been the subject of discrimination in obtaining compensation for their wrongful treatment.
Source: Bloomberg, “Goldman Must Turn Over Female Employee Complaints in Suit”, Karen Gullo, October 15, 2013
