AT&T; Employees Claim Discrimination

More than 50 AT&T; Corp. employees in nine states, including California, have accused the company of discrimination and 100 more are preparing to file complaints with the federal government.

The complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission set the stage for federal lawsuits against the New York-based telecommunications giant, a law firm representing the workers said.

The employees allege they were sexually harassed and discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, disability and national origin, said attorney Lenard Leeds, whose firm is representing the workers.

About one in four has been fired.

Workers alleging discrimination are required to file a complaint with the EEOC before bringing suit against an employer, a step that requires approval from the commission.

An AT&T; spokeswoman said the company has not yet seen the allegations, and thus was not prepared to comment on them.