State's Attorney Lawson Lamar has down-played the allegations since they began surfacing. But he may finally be forced to answer them after a lawsuit was filed in federal court last week alleging his office discriminates in matters of pay against its women employees.
Donna C. Lindamood, a former assistant state's attorney, charges in her lawsuit that she was fired on Jan. 9, 1998, after alleging wage discrimination in a complaint she filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In addition, she notes in her suit, her firing also followed her allegation -- reported to the state, and protected under provisions of the Florida Whistle Blower Act -- of unequal pay for women, misuse of agency vehicles and fraud benefiting certain employees' retirement benefits.
Lindamood had worked in Lamar's office since June 1985.
