Female employees recover $33 million in gender discrimination suit

A class of female financial advisers settled their discrimination suit against Smith Barney for $33 million. The women claimed disparate treatment, and that in response to their complaints, the brokerage subjected them to a hostile work environment, disclosed their complaints to male coworkers, and retaliated against them, resulting in termination. Smith Barney responded that female employees were treated no differently than their male counterparts. The agreement includes injunctive relief related to account distributions, partnership arrangements, promotions, retentions and other policies and procedures. An appointed diversity monitor and industrial psychologist will oversee the changes. (The case was filed in San Francisco, where the majority of the named plaintiffs resided and many of the alleged acts occurred.)