Ritz-Carlton general manager files gender discrimination lawsuit

After 19 years of employment with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Myra deGersdorff filed a lawsuit claiming she was a victim of gender discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed on Sept. 14 in federal court in New Orleans.

DeGersdorff states that the hotel maintained a discriminatory workplace in which she and other females were consistently subjected to different and higher standards of conduct than their male counterparts.

In addition to the alleged practice of disparate treatment of women, the hotel is accused of fabricating violations of its conduct policy as a pretext to terminate deGersdorff so they could replace her with a male employee.

According to the lawsuit, deGersdorff received awards for her handling of the chaos following Hurricane Katrina. She made the decision to use medical supplies from an abandoned drug store across from the hotel and implemented a disinfection system that prevented disease from spreading through the hotel and its 1,200 guests.

She states that shortly after she was terminated, her supervisor hired a male that was a "close personal friend" of his, who was less qualified for her position.

The defendant is accused of unlawful discrimination against deGersdorff on the basis of sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

DeGersdorff is seeking damages for compensatory and punitive damages, costs and attorney's fees.

The plaintiff is represented by New Orleans attorney Randall J. Meyer.

U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:11-cv-02301