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CRDA hit with discrimination lawsuit

"Mary Rixey, 59, a senior project officer at the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, contends in her state Superior Court lawsuit that she is a victim of age and gender discrimination.

"'From our standpoint, it's age and sex,' said David Zatuchni, Rixey's Princeton-based attorney. 'They're obviously looking for younger males.'

"In the suit, which was filed April 2, Rixey asks for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages against the authority and its executive director, Thomas D. Carver. The suits alleges that Carver is responsible for the hirings and promotions that have drawn Rixey's objections.

"...The CRDA serves as Atlantic City's chief redevelopment agency, using hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from the 11 casinos for housing projects and economic development.

"Rixey, of Cape May Court House, has worked at the authority for 17 years and currently earns $67,952, according to Zatuchni. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in business administration from Temple University. Her suit says she has always received excellent performance reviews.

"...The suit cites one employee, J.B. Feeley, who also serves as a senior project officer, as an example of the alleged pay disparity between Rixey and her male counterparts. Rixey claims that Feeley doesn't have a college degree and has worked for the authority only since 2003, but earns about $20,000 more than her. Salary figures released Monday by the authority show that Feeley is paid $89,471 annually.

"...Rixey claims she was not given an opportunity to apply for higher-level jobs that were ultimately awarded to younger, less experienced male employees..."

copyrighted material written for and appeared exclusively in The Press of Atlantic City

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