Women say Probation Dept. biased

Five female officers in the city’s Probation Department sued their employer Monday in a federal discrimination case, arguing that they are paid less and promoted less than white male officers have been in the past.

The plaintiffs in the race and gender discrimination suit filed in Manhattan Federal Court are Black and Latina. The Probation Officers Union that represents the women is part of the class-action suit.

Women of color make up the majority of officers at the agency, yet are currently paid significantly less than men were when the Probation Department was staffed mainly by white male officers, the suit said.

Officers Jean Brown, Tanga Johnson, Tara Smith and Cathy Wa s h i n g t o n , who are Black, and Emma Stovall, who is Hispanic, said in court papers obtained by the Daily News that they’ve been underpaid for years — despite being asked to take on more job responsibilities, often without getting actual promotions. Johnson retired in 2019 after 36 years on the job.

“For too long our work has been undervalued because our members are predominantly women and people of color,” said President of the United Probation Officers Association Dalvanie Powell, who praised her members for working during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We understand that the city has tough budget decisions to make in the years to come. But this economic downturn has had a disproportionate impact on women and people of color, and it would be immoral to persist with pay discrimination in order to balance the budget,” Powell (photo) added. “The city can either be part of the problem or part of the solution, and support hardworking civil servants who do essential work.”

City probation officers have historically been white men, the suit says. Now, over 90% of the agency’s officers are nonwhite and 80% are women.

Officers of color in recent years have had to “take on overwhelmingly more work, with less support and less pay,” the suit alleges.

“When current and past pay rates for probation officers are analyzed ... it shows that [the agency has] engaged in a pattern and/or practice of wage suppression,” the suit says.

The city’s Law Department said it would review the lawsuit when it was served.