Federal Court Rules Against Motorola In Sexual Discrimination Lawsuit, Announces Mitchell & Company


CHICAGO, Oct. 11, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- A U.S. federal court here has ruled that the recent firing of Motorola's top female executive may have been illegal, which the company sought to hide through an elaborate "cover-up" attempt.

In denying a motion for a summary dismissal judgment filed by Motorola against its former Chief Procurement Officer, Theresa M. Metty, a federal judge stated in his ruling that the "conspicuousness of the altered treatment" regarding Metty "provides circumstantial evidence that that there was a concerted effort to 'cover one's tracks'." Metty, who was in charge of more than $20 billion in annual global purchases of goods and services, was fired in April, 2005, shortly after Ed Zander's arrival as Motorola's new CEO.

Metty, a prominent leader in the international supply chain management industry who was recruited from IBM in 2000, filed a federal lawsuit against Motorola contesting her dismissal on grounds of sex discrimination. At the rank of Senior Vice President, she was one of the two highest-ranking female executives at the company. Motorola contended that Metty's firing was based on her "loss of credibility" among her male peers within the company and poor job performance.

But in his motion denial, U.S. District Judge David H. Coar wrote that Motorola's top brass produced "very few objective or quantifiable measures" to support Metty's dismissal. "Events leading up to termination involved a conspicuously intense four month period of negative interactions following four years of relatively serene company service," stated the court's ruling.

The ruling also referred to Zander's comments in an internal staff review meeting when he informed executives below him that he "wants her (Metty) out, legally." One of the executives, when discussing her firing, privately acknowledged difficulty in legally taking such action, asking "how do we explain this to a jury?" The court added that "various comments made by the executives seem to indicate that they were over-reaching in their effort to portray (Metty) as a poor performer."

During her tenure at Motorola, Metty earned successive salary increases, job promotions and bonuses. She reduced cell telephone manufacturing costs by 28% and cut company-wide yearly procurement costs by $4.7 billion. Reflecting her senior status in the company, Metty frequently joined company top executives in financial presentations to Motorola's Board of Directors and Wall Street investment analysts, a coveted role usually reserved for top brass.

"The glass ceiling at Motorola, and many other corporations, remains rigidly in place," said Metty

"When a new CEO comes aboard, staffing changes are not uncommon," explained Metty's lawyer, Denean K. Sturino, a Fagel & Haber litigator. "But even a CEO like Ed Zander is not above the law."

The federal court trial is scheduled to proceed here in early November.



            

Contact Data