CBS is facing a $1 million-plus discrimination and retaliation lawsuit after the company’s former director of international treasury, Maria Solache, alleged that she was discriminated against due to her Mexican heritage. Solache claims that she was fired in retaliation for filing a complaint about the unfair treatment and has filed a lawsuit in New York federal court.
Solache, a Mexican national and green card holder, started working for CBS in December 2014 and was responsible for overseeing foreign trading, international bank accounts and tracking global economic markets, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“The essence of Ms. Solache’s claim is that Defendant treated her differently from other employees, underpaid her because of her national origin, failed to give her a title or salary commensurate with her position and responsibilities, and, when Ms. Solache questioned the manner in which she was being treated, Defendants retaliated against her by manufacturing a pretext for its termination of Ms. Solache’s employment,” declares the complaint that was filed on Oct. 7.
Solache was paid around $160,000 until the Obama administration’s investigation into the Department of Labor, which resulted in a 44 percent increase of her salary. Her raise was up to $227,000 but it was later lowered again. Solache alleged in her complaint that the company lowered her salary when it “was confident that the eyes of DOL were no longer upon it.”
Solache alleges that she was fired on June 25 last year for “insubordination,” a short while she filed a complaint regarding the inequality of her title and salary in comparison with her peers. The dismissal cited Solache making a trade without approval but she maintains that it was within her responsibilities, according to Deadline.
“Despite the fact that Plaintiff had enjoyed a well-deserved positive reputation for her performance in the three and one-half years she worked at CBS, shortly after she raised questions to her employer regarding the disparate treatment in salary and job title to which she was subjected, a pretextual reason to terminate her was created, and she was terminated,” states the 13 page complaint.
The complaint named both CBS corporation and Solache’s direct supervisor Jim Morisson, Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer, in the case. CBS has not yet released a statement in response to the lawsuit.