Former Sacramento city engineer Anna Tekautz has initiated legal action against the city in Sacramento Superior Court, alleging systematic gender discrimination and harassment throughout her employment. The lawsuit claims years of unequal compensation, denied professional development opportunities, and discriminatory interference with career advancement based on her status as a mother.

Wage Discrimination and Career Development Denial

Tekautz, who worked in Sacramento’s building division beginning in 2015, alleges she consistently earned less than male colleagues performing comparable work despite receiving strong performance evaluations. The lawsuit further claims she was systematically denied “career enhancing assignments” that would have provided professional growth opportunities and advancement potential available to male engineers.

This pattern of unequal treatment allegedly persisted throughout her nearly nine-year tenure with the city, creating disparate career trajectories based on gender rather than merit or performance.

Discriminatory Comments About Motherhood and Promotion

The complaint includes allegations of explicit gender discrimination when Tekautz expressed interest in the chief building official position. According to the lawsuit, a supervisor responded by telling her to “focus on being a mother” rather than pursuing the higher-level role, directly tying career advancement obstacles to her parental status.

This type of discriminatory comment violates both federal and California employment discrimination laws prohibiting bias based on gender and family status.

Internal Complaints and Constructive Discharge

Tekautz filed formal internal complaints with the city in 2019 and 2023 documenting the discriminatory treatment and hostile work environment. Despite these complaints, the lawsuit alleges conditions did not improve, ultimately forcing her resignation in February 2024.

The legal concept of constructive discharge applies when working conditions become so intolerable that a reasonable person would feel compelled to resign, effectively treating the resignation as wrongful termination.

Damages Sought for Economic and Emotional Harm

The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wages resulting from pay discrimination and denied promotions, as well as damages for emotional distress caused by years of discriminatory treatment and hostile work environment. These damages aim to make Tekautz whole for both economic losses and personal suffering caused by the alleged violations.

Gender Discrimination in Public Sector Employment

This case highlights ongoing gender discrimination challenges in traditionally male-dominated fields like engineering and municipal government. California law provides strong protections against workplace discrimination, including the Fair Employment and Housing Act covering both private and public sector employers.