Bloomberg LP sued in sex discrimination case

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Bloomberg LP on Thursday, alleging the news service had discriminated against pregnant employees by cutting their pay and demoting them.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, also said the privately held company had reduced the women's duties and excluded them from employment opportunities.

The commission took action after Jill Patricot, Tanys Lancaster and Janet Loures filed charges with the government agency.

Bloomberg spokeswoman Judith Czelusniak said the suit was "completely without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously."

Patricot and Loures still work for the company but Lancaster does not, she said.

The lawsuit claims the company, founded in the 1980s by Michael Bloomberg, now mayor of New York, also paid the women less when they returned from maternity leave.

The suit also said the company demoted them and replaced them with "junior" male employees.

The women were subjected to "stereotypes regarding female caregivers," with comments ranging from "you are not committed" to "you do not want to be here," the lawsuit said.

It did not say who made those comments.

The suit said the company's human resources department dismissed the women's complaints.

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction blocking the company from discriminating based on sex and pregnancy, and seeks back pay, compensation for lost pay, and unspecified punitive damages.

It accuses the company of unlawful employment practices during a period from about February 2002 to the present.

Attempts to reach the women were unsuccessful.

Michael Bloomberg, who was elected mayor in 2001, is not involved in the day-to-day operation of the company.

Reuters Group Plc competes with Bloomberg in providing news and financial data.

(Reporting by Robert MacMillan)