Salt Lake City woman sues DABC for age, sex discrimination

(KUTV) -- A Salt Lake City woman is suing the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for alleged age and sex discrimination.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in July, 2018, alleges that the DABC failed to promote former employee Debra K. England into management positions because of her age, gender and/or retaliation.

The court document specifies that England applied for manager and assistant manager positions in June 2015, and thereafter, but was not hired though she was better qualified and possessed more experience than other applicants who were hired.

England also applied for numerous transfers with the DABC during that same time frame and was denied, the suit states.

Because she felt discriminated against with the denials of the promotions and transfers, England filed complaints and was granted a transfer to a state liquor store in the Avenues, the lawsuit states.

While employed at the Avenues store, England accuses her manager of "severe and pervasive retaliation" for her complaints about discrimination with significant increases of coaching sessions she'd not experienced in your previous 15 years of employment with the DABC, the lawsuit states.

The suit also states English began to experience difficulties with her coworkers who made numerous complaints against her, resulting in coaching sessions and a memorandum of understanding regarding her "conduct and attitude towards other employees" in April, 2017.

England alleges that her rights were violated and the discrimination outlined in the lawsuit be mitigated by jury trial.

She is asking for a judgement for back pay, attorneys' fees and undisclosed compensatory damages for pain, suffering and humiliation.