A female former employee of Vice Media filed a lawsuit against the company on Tuesday alleging that the digital media giant practices systemic pay discrimination against female staffers.
According to the lawsuit, Rose learned that a male subordinate — whom she hired — made about $25,000 more per year than her. The man was eventually promoted to be her supervisor. A male executive told Rose that her former subordinate was a “good personality fit” for male clients, the lawsuit alleges.
“You would just be floored,” said Michael Morrison, a Santa Monica attorney who filed the lawsuit today on Rose’s behalf.
“She hired someone who made more than her, who was essentially groomed to be her supervisor,” he said. “What greater form of discrimination and oppression than paying someone less for their services because of their sex?”
The lawsuit also alleges that a female editor hired for the media company’s Los Angeles office was offered $15,000 less than a male editor hired for the Brooklyn office. According to the lawsuit, the former Vice manager Michael Prommer, when he was asked about the discrepancy, allegedly replied “this is how much we can offer her”.
News of the lawsuit quickly provoked discussion about Vice on social media, with several former female employees posting about their experiences.
One former employee, Kayla Ruble, told that she had experienced of pay discrimination alleged in the suit, and described working at Vice as “an intense environment of misogyny”.
She said that her experience had made her think, “maybe I’m not worth it”.
> Shiuly Akter
