A former technical director for an all-girls school in Hancock Park says in a new lawsuit that she resigned in frustration over being paid thousands of dollars less than a male counterpart who held the same job but did not perform the same level of work that she did.
Amelia Charter's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Marlborough School alleges violation of the California Equal Pay Act, gender discrimination and several violations of the state Labor Code. She seeks compensatory and punitive damages totaling at least $10 million.
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A Marlborough School representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Feb. 14.
Charter was hired by Marlborough as an independent contractor in February 2017 and became a part-time employee in March of that year while working as an assistant technical director in the Performing Arts Dept., the suit states. She assumed the role of technical director on a temporary basis when the person who held the position abruptly left, according to her suit.
Charter repeatedly advocated for Marlborough to create two technical director roles because there was more than enough work for two people to perform, according to the suit.
She accepted a full-time contract as technical director at $55,000 annually for 2018-19 and the school went along with her suggestion to bring in a second technical director, hiring a man for the position, the suit states. The position titles were identical, but Charter, the holder of a master's degree, had more education and was more experienced than the new person, whose starting salary nonetheless was $80,000, the suit states.
Charter directed Marlborough's larger productions, including the school musicals, while her male counterpart was in charge of smaller productions such as dance, choral and instrumental concerts, according to the suit.
In the 2020-21 school year, Charter's salary was increased to $65,100 and the male director's pay to $85,500, the suit states. The next year, Charter was granted a 3.5% increase to $67,400, but the male director's salary was upped to $87,600, the suit alleges.
Discussions with the school administration about the salary disparity were unfruitful, the suit states.
When Charter shared her salary with her male colleague, he concurred she should be paid more and revealed he had been offered about $90,000 for the 2022-23 school year, prompting Charter to file a complaint in May 2022 with the California Labor Commissioner's Office for alleged violation of the California Equal Pay Act, according to the suit.
Charter resigned three months later.
Charter also maintains she worked through her meal and rest breaks because of her work load and was never compensated. She alleges she continues to suffer economic losses and emotional distress.
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