RENO, Nev. (AP) - The second of two female forensic investigators who sued the Washoe County sheriff’s office for gender discrimination has won a $124,000 settlement for alleged violations of federal equal pay laws.
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit last week after Toni Leal-Olsen and Washoe County reached the settlement.
The county agreed to pay her more than $102,000 in back pay and pension credit, plus well nearly $22,000 in attorney fees and costs. Both said the “compromise settlement … shall not be an admission of any liability or obligation.”
The county agreed last year to pay $62,000 to Leal-Olsen’s co-plaintiff, Marci Margritier. The county board of commissioners approved Leal Olsen’s settlement in February.
The sheriff’s office hired Leal-Olsen in 1996 and Margritier in 2000 as forensic technicians.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Reno in July 2017 said two male counterparts were paid annual base salaries $10,000 higher for performing the same jobs under the same conditions.
Among other things, they investigated crime scenes, developed fingerprints, prepared photographs, did autopsy-related work, collected physical evidence from deceased crime victims and testified as expert witnesses in court
“Defendants intentionally discriminated against Leal-Olsen and Margritier, based on their gender, by paying them less than their male counterparts, who performed the same or substantially equal work,” the suit said.
It said the two women first complained about their job classification distinguishing them from deputies who worked as forensic investigators who did the same work. Their titles eventually were changed but their requests for raises were denied, the suit said.
“Such reasons were not predicated on the actual work performed, or the skills, efforts, responsibilities or conduction of work … and the resulting difference in pay was not rooted in legitimate business-related differences in work responsibilities and qualifications for the particular positions at issue,” the suit said.
The Washoe County Employees Association filed a grievance on their behalf in 2017 and they filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for sex discrimination and Equal Pay Act violations. The EOC issued them a right-to-sue letter in April 2017 based on the claims regarding the county’s “intentional, unlawful and discriminatory conduct.”
Washoe County lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.