The Mississippi State Senate paid a Black staff attorney $40,000 to $60,000 less per year than her White colleagues were paid, because of course that would happen in Mississippi.
“The Black employee at issue in this lawsuit was paid about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of federal law. This lawsuit makes clear that race-based pay discrimination will not be tolerated in our economy,” said Kristin Clarke, the assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which has filed a suit on behalf of Kristie Metcalfe.
The suit lays out that Metcalfe and her White colleagues in the Legislative Services Office had the same job responsibilities throughout her eight-year tenure. The LSO is a nonpartisan office that provides legal services, such as drafting bills, for all members of the Senate.
In the 34 years prior to Metcalfe’s hire, the LSO employed only white attorneys.
The complaint alleges the pay gap between Metcalfe and her White colleagues began when she was hired and was perpetuated in several additional discriminatory pay actions. In 2011, Metcalfe was paid a starting salary significantly lower than any LSO attorney in over 30 years. Just one month after her hire, every attorney but Metcalfe was given a substantial raise, further widening the pay gap and leaving her with a salary less than half of what her white colleagues were earning.
Near the end of her tenure, the Senate hired a White attorney with no previous legislative experience and a similar number of years of legal experience as Metcalfe at a salary significantly higher than Metcalfe’s.
At a meeting with Senate officials responsible for setting LSO salaries, Metcalfe complained about the pay disparity with the new hire, but the Senate denied her request for comparable pay.
The Justice Department is seeking back pay and compensatory damages for Ms. Metcalfe, in addition to injunctive and other appropriate relief.
Share
Chris Graham
