Citigroup used recession to fire women: Lawsuit

NEW YORK: A new lawsuit accuses Citigroup of using companywide layoffs during the recent financial turmoil to purge its workforce of scores of female employees in favor of less qualified men.

The discrimination lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan. The lawsuit said a statistically significant percentage of women were terminated during the November 2008 layoffs, making it unlikely it happened by chance.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status. It says the firings were consistent with the company's history of discriminating against women.

A message left with a Citigroup spokeswoman was not immediately returned.