Former Pittsburgh Steelers employee football team She went to court claiming she had been discriminated against at work because of her gender and sexual orientation.
Chelsea Zahn worked for the Steelers from 2013 to 2024, after which she left her position as corporate sales manager. in Complaint in federal court Zahn claims in the lawsuit filed on January 13 that she was mistreated, had her pay cut and was denied a promotion because she is a gay woman.
“Pittsburgh is a Steelers city, and we are very proud of our team,” said Joel Sansone, the attorney representing Zahn. defender. “We cannot treat our citizens this way just because they are different.”
Sansone said Zahn was making more than $100,000 in bonuses and commissions in 2024, but Steelers owner Art Rooney II only paid her half that amount because he was “angry about her leaving.”
Sansone said Zahn spent his time with the Steelers overcoming hostility because he was gay, which led to his decision to leave.
“Management ignored her requests for some corrective action,” he said. “The situation was so intolerable that everyone felt they had no choice but to leave.”
The complaint says Zahn has yet to receive $100,000, although a straight male colleague who left the Steelers received his full bonus and commission.
Zahn and other female employees were paid less than their male colleagues for similar work, according to the complaint. Zahn also claimed that she was denied a promotion due to lack of experience, while a less experienced male colleague was promoted.
When Zahn accepted a position as director of corporate sales, the Steelers offered her a lower starting salary than the team offered a man in the same position, according to the complaint. When Zahn’s coworkers found out she was gay, she says her bosses treated her less favorably than her straight male coworkers.
Additionally, Zahn said that because he does not have children, he was asked to attend work events that were not available to his straight male colleagues. Zahn felt this reflected prejudice against her for not conforming to “heterosexual female gender stereotypes,” according to the complaint.
Taken together, the lawsuit alleges that Zahn suffered “emotional, financial, and professional harm” while violating state and federal laws regarding equal opportunity and timely compensation.
Pittsburgh Steelers media representatives declined to comment for this story. Zahn is now seeking full compensation for the bonuses and commissions he earned in 2024, as well as damages and attorney fees related to the lawsuit.
“What I hope is that the Steelers realize they made a mistake here and step up to bat,” Sansone said. “Or you say, get up to the line of scrimmage and do the right thing.”
This article was written as part of the Future of Queer Media fellowship program. defenderis supported by generous donations from. morrison media group. This program helps support the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
