Discrimination lawsuit filed

Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2002 | 9:42 a.m.

GULFPORT, Miss. -- A multimillion-dollar lawsuit has been filed against Grand Casino, claiming the gaming house discriminated against four female workers and one former female employee.

Denise Bartholomew, Marie Cox, Vickie Carden-Garriga, Darnell Lander and Lena Waddell each want Grand Casino in Gulfport to pay them $2 million in compensatory damages, or actual damages, and $5 million in punitive damages, according to the lawsuit filed last month in federal court.

The women were required to get permission from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in order to sue the casino.

The casino denies the allegations, court documents show.

Grand Casino officials declined to comment on the suit.

In the lawsuit, Bartholomew, Cox, Carden-Garriga and Waddell allege that they were not promoted or given the opportunity to apply for promotions.

The lawsuit claims the Grand failed to provide adequate notice of job openings for supervisory positions and promoted male employees.