The lawsuit, Fassbender Amochaev v. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., dba Smith Barney, alleges that Smith Barney has engaged in a pattern and practice of gender discrimination against its female financial consultants in account distribution, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment throughout the company. The women allege violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California law.
The complaint charges that, among other things, Smith Barney discriminates against women in the account distribution process, routinely assigning smaller and less valuable accounts to female brokers, including those who outperform their male counterparts; fails to provide women with the same level of sales and administrative support as it provides to men; and maintains a corporate culture hostile to female professionals.