Seeking Gender Equality

Monique Aguilar began her career working for El Paso County as a secretary in the Facilities Management Department. Twenty years into her career, she was promoted to Facilities manager, the first woman to hold that title, and the salary was immediately reduced by $38,000. She complained for three years of equal pay discrimination, only to be told that HR was "working on it."Monique also experienced relentless sex-based harassment when she was promoted over a man who didn't believe a woman could do the job of a Facilities manager. She reported the harassment thirteen times to seven different supervisors, five of whom were women.Monique resigned in April 2015 when the work environment became so toxic and hostile she could no longer subject herself to the daily abuse. She subsequently filed a lawsuit for equal pay discrimination and sex-based harassment. The lawsuit was settled eight years later.

-- Monique Aguilar