Lexington-Fayette Urban County
Human Rights Commission
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May
11, 2004
A Lexington woman was awarded
$44,000 in a Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission sex
discrimination case against U-Haul of Kentucky. On May 6, 2004, the Fayette
Circuit Court upheld a 1996 decision by the Human Rights Commission to award
Pamela Wise $16,000 in lost wages, and embarrassment and humiliation. (The
$44,000 awarded is due to the statutory interest of 12 percent per year.)
Pamela Wise, then an assistant
manager for U-Haul, filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission that she
was wrongfully denied a promotion to the position of store manager because of
her sex, female. The Commission investigated the complaint and found evidence to
support Wise’s complaint including that a lesser qualified male was hired for
the store manager position and that U-Haul did not pay Ms. Wise and her male
counterparts equally.
The Commission’s attempts at
conciliation were unsuccessful and the case went to public hearing where the
hearing examiner found that there was an unlawful disparity in wages paid to
Wise because of her sex, female, and that she was unlawfully denied the position
of store manager because of her sex, female. This finding was sent to the
Commission for approval and was affirmed in December of 1996. After a lengthy
appeals process, the Fayette Circuit Court ruled to uphold the decision on May
6, 2004.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission is an independent
chartered agency of the Urban County Government that enforces local
anti-discrimination ordinances 199-94 and 201-99 through compliant
investigations, technical assistance, and outreach. The Commission investigates
complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation
based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age (40+), disability,
familial status, and sexual orientation/gender identity. More information on the
Commission can be located on the web site www.lfuchrc.org.
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