Sep 23, 2014 By David Singer 2 min read

The Peters Township school district paid nearly $2 million dollars after agreeing to settle out of court for a gender and age discrimination suit brought by 17 teachers and guidance counselors.

The women who accused their employer of failing to provide pay commensurate with their experience, and hiring younger or male teachers at higher salaries, were paid $1,281,709. Their attorneys were paid $718,605, according to a copy of the settlement released by a Tribune Review Right-to-Know request. Both the district and the plaintiffs filed a motion to dismiss the suit on Aug. 15.

The plaintiffs’ attorney, Colleen Johnston, said their individual settlements represent about 70 percent of the wages lost because they were improperly classified relative to work experience.

“They are very happy with the outcome of this very long litigation process, going on nearly five years,” she said, “They feel vindicated.”

“All of the women were employed at the time of the filing (in September 2010), and some retired as the suit made its way through court,” said co-counsel Nikki Velisaris Lykos.

According to the settlement, the teachers and counselors were identified as: Renee Wentzel, Elizabeth Bladel, Gloria Bombara-Laux, Janice Cmar, Leslie Green, Denise Hitchens, Christine Kedzuf, Maria Marcinak, Carla McCue, Lois Murray, Nancy Parker, Delores Petricca, Sonya Ring, Anne Bernosky, Kathleen Sekely, Suzette Sprowls and Victoria Mannion.

According to district spokeswoman Shelly Belcher, 13 of the 17 plaintiffs are still employed by the school, with Anne Bernosky, Victoria Mannion, Kathleen Sekely and Suzette Sprowls having left the district or retired.

The district had argued in court they were not liable, and that different superintendents between 1993 and 2008 hired the most qualified applicants at the lowest pay acceptable to new hires.