A federal judge ruled that a lawyer who sued her firm for sexual discrimination is not protected by anti-discrimination laws because as a shareholder she is an employer, and not an employee.
Alyson J. Kirleis, 46, of Upper St. Clair sued Dickie McCamey & Chilcote in 2006, claiming a pattern of discrimination.
She said she got less pay for the same work as her male counterparts, and was excluded from the office Christmas party and other functions because the entertainment includes sexually explicit or pornographic materials and is followed by outings to strip clubs.
A senior member of the firm also told her she needed to spend less time at work and more time with her family, the lawsuit stated.
Kirleis has worked at the firm since 1988, when she received her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. The firm's main client is the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab said in his ruling that while a smaller executive committee has more power, Kirleis is a voting member of the firm's board and therefore helps manage its operation.
Kirleis argued that the board does little more than "rubber stamp" decisions by the executive committee and the executive committee controls which lawyers are assigned to cases and how much they get paid.
Edward Friedman, Kirleis' lawyer, said they will appeal Schwab's ruling but declined to further discuss the case. The attorney representing the law firm couldn't be reached for comment.
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