Former attorney in AG office files discrimination lawsuit

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A former lawyer in state Attorney General Andy Beshear’s office has filed a lawsuit contending she was subjected to sex discrimination and recrimination under the state whistleblower law.

Laine Kaiser’s lawsuit filed in Franklin County Circuit Court says she sought a raise in April but was told no money was budgeted. In July, Kaiser asked her supervisor why male attorneys were given raises or new positions while women were denied raises, the Lexington Herald-Leader (https://bit.ly/2ggzSAH) reported Tuesday. The lawsuit said Kaiser’s work was overseen by a male employee afterward.

The lawsuit says she reported concerns to the attorney general’s human resources department on Aug. 10 and was told eight days later that her services were no longer needed.

Deputy Attorney General J. Michael Brown said the allegations are “untrue and will be disproven in court.”

“Attorney General Beshear’s office is the most diverse in recent memory, with a majority of leadership positions held by women and minorities,” Brown said. “The office embraces diversity and does not tolerate sexism in any form. The former employee was the second-highest-paid non-merit lawyer in that division.”

Kaiser made $63,630 a year.

Kaiser’s resignation letter was produced by the attorney general’s office. In it, she said she was “grateful for the opportunity to have served” and welcomed future opportunities as a consultant.

Kaiser’s lawsuit asks for punitive and compensatory damages.

The lawsuit says Kaiser learned that she was one of three female employees who had been vocal about problems in the attorney general’s office who also were let go. Those employees are not identified.

Kaiser was hired by former Attorney General Jack Conway after many years working in private law firms, according to the lawsuit. Because of her expertise in electronic discovery, she worked on the state’s litigation against Purdue Pharma over OxyContin distribution, a lawsuit that resulted in a $24 million settlement for Kentucky.

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This version corrects the date that Kaiser’s concerns were reported to the human resources department to Aug. 10, instead of Aug. 18.

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Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, https://www.kentucky.com