Black Woman Claims Cardinals Discriminated

ST. LOUIS (CN) - A former intern says the St. Louis Cardinals discriminated against her due to her race and fired her because of her gender.

Kazia Steele became an intern in July 2005. After the internship, Steele, a black woman, claims she was not offered the same full-time responsibilities that the Cardinals offered her white counterparts.

Steele says she was the only intern offered menial full-time employment.

"Defendants failed to make good faith efforts to establish and enforce policies to prevent illegal discrimination against their employees, including racial discrimination," according to the complaint in City Court.

Steele said she was subjected to a higher level of scrutiny as a full-time employee than her male counterparts and eventually was fired due to her gender.

She seeks punitive damages for emotional distress and violations of the Missouri Human Rights Act. She is represented by Larry Fields.

Follow @joeharris_stl

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