Sunday, December 8, 2002
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Sunday, December 8, 2002 |
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Former amphitheater director adds discrimination charges to equal pay suit against PTC development authority By JOHN
MUNFORD
A federal lawsuit filed by Peachtree City's former amphitheater director against the city's Development Authority has been expanded to include a complaint that she was discriminated against after she complained about her salary. Kristi Rapson added the discrimination charges to her equal pay lawsuit against the authority, which operates the city's amphitheater and tennis center. In court documents, the authority denies the discrimination charges and contends that Rapson's pay was increased by 100 percent after she complained about the disparity between her pay and that of then-tennis center director Virgil Christian, who is now the authority's executive director. Rapson's raise was more than the amount recommended by a pay study commissioned by the authority to study the directors' salaries, the authority claims. And although Rapson's pay was increased at the time, Christian's wasn't, the authority indicates. "Christian's duties, which included giving tennis lessons, hiring and developing approximately 30 employees and presiding over the building and construction of the tennis center were not comparable to the plaintiff's duties and responsibilities in any respect," the authority said in a legal document responding to the suit. Rapson claims the authority retaliated against her by reducing her duties as amphitheater director which became "a constructive demotion." Rapson's amended complaint also alleges that a pay inequity still exists between the new amphitheater director, whom she believes is paid half as much as the new tennis center director. The authority denies that and argues Rapson was not demoted before she resigned in November of last year. In addition to seeking monetary damages for lost pay and mental and emotional suffering, Rapson also wants the court to issue an injunction against the authority to keep it from using discriminatory employment policies and practices.
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