WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

HUNTINGTON – Two CSX Transportation employees allege they were denied promotions because they were female.

Both Tracee Cribb and Tracie Yost claim they applied for posted positions for which they were qualified, but repeatedly were denied the advances, according to suits both women filed in federal court.

Cribb had been working for CSX as a train dispatcher since December 2000 and began to apply for posted positions in 2006, namely a chief dispatcher position in the Jacksonville Center, the suit states.

Yost began working for CSX on Nov. 9, 1998, and began applying for posted positions in late 2004, namely a band 4 train master in Grafton, a director of train operations band 5, a line of road train master in Parkersburg and a band 4 line of road train master in Clifton, Va., she claims.

After being denied the opportunity for advancement, both women attempted to work through appropriate resources to address the problem, according to the complaint.

Yost even "agreed to accept a mentor and to attain additional training and education in order to overcome the delineated reasons for CSX's denials even though none of the males that were receiving the promotions had the same amount of training and experience as she already possessed," the suit states.

However, CSX retaliated even further against the women by repeatedly denying them positions and even refusing to interview them when they were allowed to apply, they claim.

"CSX was aware that the Plaintiff was being denied these opportunities based on her gender, even informing her that if they were to promote her to a supervisory position over a group of their male employees would be 'setting her up to fail,'" Yost's complaint states.

Because of CSX's refusal to promote the women, they lost wages and benefits and suffered indignity, embarrassment, humiliation and emotional distress, according to the complaint.

CSX's actions were a violation of the women's rights under the Civil Rights Act, according to the complaint.

Cribb and Yost are seeking unspecified punitive and exemplary damages, attorney's fees, costs, an order granting them one of the promotions for which they applied at CSX and other relief that is just.

They are represented by John A. Proctor of Underwood and Proctor in Huntington.

U.S. District Court case numbers: 3:08-1409 (Yost) and 3:08-1410 (Cribb)