Wal-Mart being sued by Black female engineer

Tiffine Koch was a manager of 14 other engineers at a Wal-Mart office in Sunnyvale. But despite the big responsibility that came with the title, she was not paid a salary that matched her position, she claims in a lawsuit filed against the retail giant, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Koch says Wal-Mart didn’t pay or promote as the job requires because she is a Black woman. Wal-Mart responded by saying it does not tolerate discrimination of any kind, and the firm denied Koch’s allegations, calling them “unfounded.” Koch claims in her suit that she was “continually paid less than her two male colleagues who were performing the same managerial tasks and managing approximately the same number of people,” said the suit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court. “One of these employees was actually managing less people than (Koch), and yet was still earning more money than her.” Out of “hundreds” of employees in Wal-Mart’s Sunnyvale offices, only two were African American, said the suit filed July 11. Koch also claims she was demoted after she complained to the company about alleged discrimination. Hired in May 2016, Koch resigned in June. Her lawsuit charges Wal-Mart with “making her workplace so intolerable that she had to resign.” Wal-Mart disputes Koch’s assertion that she managed 14 engineers. “We are contesting that,” said spokesman Randy Hargrove. “While she was employed with us, she had no associates directly reporting to her.” Wal-Mart also said that it had promoted Koch to a job with greater pay and responsibility, after she’d been with the company for less than a year. She is seeking lost wages and unspecified damages. Wal-Mart says it would defend the company against her claims.