BOISE, Idaho — Four women are suing Canyon County because they say they were paid lower wages than their male colleague, even though they all had equal or superior experience and performed the same tasks.
Linda Ellis, Tracy Johnson, Rene Whitneck and Toni Kreiter filed the civil rights lawsuit Monday in Idaho's U.S. District Court contending they were each paid less than $25 an hour for their work as nurses at the Canyon County Jail, while the only male nurse at the jail was paid more than $31 an hour. They also said the disparities were not the result of a seniority or merit system.
The women say they did the same job as their male colleague under the same working conditions, and that they all had experience and qualifications that was equal or better than that of their male coworker.
"The only discernable difference between Plaintiffs and their male colleague in the performance of their jobs is that Defendants maintain different male and female uniforms — requiring Plaintiffs to wear medical scrubs while permitting their male colleague to wear tactical pants and a polo shirt," the women's attorney Eric Swartz wrote in the lawsuit.
Canyon County spokesman Joe Decker declined to comment because he said the county hasn't yet seen or been served with the lawsuit.
Both state law and federal law make it illegal to pay an employee less for comparable work because of their sex.
The women are asking a judge to award them back pay and benefits, interest and other damages and compensation.
