NEVADA — The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Clark County, Nevada officials alleging that they discriminated against a black female employee by paying “significantly less” than four whites who had similar job duties to the woman.
Therese Scupi is Clark County’s director of diversity.
The woman, Therese Scupi, alleges tht the county discriminated against her by compensation discrimination and retaliation from 2007 to present, according to federal officials
According to the complaint, Scupi was paid significantly less than four white county employees who had duties “substantially similar” to Scupi’s.
The complaint also alleges that the county retaliated against Scupi when she complained of disparities in her pay that she believed were based on her race and sex, officials said.
Through this lawsuit, the federal government is asking a court to require the county to develop and implement ways to prevent and correct race and sex discrimination as well as monetary damages for Scupi.
“Pay discrimination based on gender and race is a priority enforcement initiative for the Department of Justice,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “Nationwide, women earn only about 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and women of color earn even less.”
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Las Vegas investigated Scupi’s complaint and determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that discrimination and retaliation had occurred and referred the matter to the Department.
“Women and men deserve equal pay for equal work, and federal law holds employers to that responsibility,” said Director Amy Burkholder for the EEOC’s Las Vegas Local Office.