MODESTO, Calif., March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a three year court battle, the Sacramento firm of Diepenbrock Harrison, lawyers for three women suing the City of Modesto for sex discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, have secured a $3.25 million settlement on their behalf. City of Modesto employees Karin Rodriguez, Jocelyn Reed and Debra Eggerman successfully completed their three-year battle with the City in their fight to secure equitable workplace treatment on par with the City's male employees. The women were represented by Susan E. Kirkgaard, a veteran trial lawyer who specializes in employment law and is a principal of Diepenbrock Harrison, a Sacramento based law firm.
The women alleged that high-level managers in the City, including current and former City Managers, personnel department and various managers, created a workplace that discriminated against and was hostile to women. The women say that despite their attempts to encourage the City to treat its female employees the same as its male employees, when these women reported it to officials, the City did nothing to stop the discrimination and harassment; instead retaliating against them. In 2004, the women offered to resolve claims short of protracted litigation, but the City ignored their overtures. The end result of this decision was quite costly to the City. Throughout the litigation, the City failed to properly respond to requests for public documents, and attorney fees were awarded to plaintiffs and against the City for these violations.
After substantial disputes with attorneys for the City of Modesto resulting in hotly contested Court hearings, Diepenbrock Harrison was able to obtain documents that established widespread gender discrimination throughout the City. Specifically, Diepenbrock Harrison obtained reports prepared by the City's Equal Employment Opportunity Officer showing that Eggerman, Reed, and several other female employees had been denied promotions and pay equal to that of their male counterparts, in violation of state law. In essence, the City's own Equal Opportunity Officer substantiated a part of the plaintiffs' claims. "Unfortunately, gender disparity has historically been a systemic problem within the City," Kirkgaard commented. "During the time we have been fighting this war, we have seen the City Attorney, City Manager and a number of Deputy Directors leave the City's employment, and I believe it to be caused in part by the claims we were raising."
Susan Kirkgaard added, "I am pleased our firm played a role in ensuring that the City finally recognized that its failure to treat women fairly and equally will not go unnoticed. We remain hopeful that the City will recognize its legal and moral obligation to pay and promote employees based on their skills and performance, regardless of gender. In the future, we hope the City acknowledges its responsibility to promptly and properly respond to employee complaints of discrimination and harassment and to curtail retaliation once a claim is reported."
Diepenbrock Harrison's practice focuses on winning outcomes for its clients in the areas of employment law, business litigation, property rights, and environmental law.