Citigroup, the partially government-owned financial supermarket, now has something im common with dominant Wall Street titan Goldman Sachs. Both firms are facing gender-discrimination lawsuits.
In the Citi case, six women are alleging that the bank is keeping women from equal access to pay, promotions and work, Reuters reports. Five of the plaintiffs were let go during the massive layoffs Citi underwent in November 2008, when the financial crisis was at its peak. Those layoffs figure prominently in the suit, which basically alleges that Citi let women go while retaining less-qualified men.
The plaintiffs also point out that the senior leadership committee has 39 men and only five women, and that the executive committee is made up of 19 men. The sixth plaintiff still works at the bank.
As with the Goldman lawsuit, which was filed in mid-September, the women alleging that Citi treated them unfairly are seeking class-action status for the suit.
mtaylor@observer.com
Twitter: @mbrookstaylor
