On Nov. 8, the Department of Justice announced that it was suing the Mississippi State Senate for discrimination against a Black former staff attorney who had worked in its Legislative Services Office (LSO).
According to the press release, the lawsuit alleges that the Senate paid Kristie Metcalfe half the rate as her white co-workers, which is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Per Assistant Attorney General Kirsten Clarke, “Discriminatory employment practices, like paying a Black employee less than their white colleagues for the same work, are not only unfair, they are unlawful,” Clarke said.
Clarke continued, “The Black employee at issue in this lawsuit was paid about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of federal law. This lawsuit makes clear that race-based pay discrimination will not be tolerated in our economy. Our work to eliminate race-based pay disparities is about promoting compliance with the law and promoting equity and fairness for all workers.”