A district court judge has denied Merck's motion to dismiss a class action gender discrimination lawsuit alleging that Merck engaged in pay and promotion discrimination against the proposed female employee class.
Five female Merck sales representatives, on behalf of all female sales representatives at Merck, allege that comparable male sales representatives were paid more than women, and that Merck retaliated against pregnant employees and those who took maternity leave.
Merck moved to dismiss or strike the class allegations of the amended complaint in February 2014, but yesterday Judge Pisano of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled that the plaintiffs have pled sufficient allegations to withstand the plausibility standard and the lawsuit will proceed.
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