P.M. BRIEFING : U.S. Sues TV Station for Sex Bias
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a sex discrimination lawsuit against a Baltimore TV station accused of firing an anchorwoman because she demanded the same pay as her male counterparts.
Officials said the lawsuit Monday against WBAL and parent company Hearst Corp. is the first such action by the federal agency against a TV station.
EEOC Chairman Evan Kemp Jr. said the agency found that former anchorwoman Ruth Ann Miller was paid less than her male counterparts for similar duties and fired in 1989 because she demanded equal pay.
Miller earned $141,000 a year when fired, compared to $170,000 and $180,000 for two male colleagues, the EEOC said.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, also claims Miller was given different assignments and faced increased scrutiny of her clothes and hairstyle because she is a woman. The lawsuit seeks back wages and an equal amount in damages.
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