A class action lawsuit has been filed against the nation's largest chain of jewelry stores alleging gender discrimination of female employees. The lawsuit was filed in Federal Court in the Southern District of New York and claims Sterling Jewelers committed widespread sexual discrimination against its female retail sales employees.
The class action alleges Sterling Jewelers engaged in a pattern of gender discrimination by denying female retail sales employees equal opportunities to be promoted into and within management jobs, and by paying them less than men performing the same work, at the same levels, in the same stores and at the same time period.
On January 3, 2008, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found reasonable cause to believe Sterling Jewelers subjected its female retail sales employees throughout the company to a pattern or practice of sex discrimination in regard to promotion and compensation.
Sterling Jewelers operates more than 1300 stores located in shopping malls and centers in every state throughout the US. The stores operate under at least 12 retail brand names, including Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, Kay Jewelers, Belden Jewelers, JB Robinson Jewelers, Marks & Morgan Jewelers, Weisfield Jewelers, Osterman Jewelers, Shaw's Jewelers, Rogers Jewelers, LeRoy's Jewelers, Goodman Jewelers and Friedlanders Jewelers.
