PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A class action lawsuit has been filed against Lockheed Martin Corp., the nation's largest defense contractor, which alleges sex discrimination against female employees, according to the plaintiff's attorneys Wednesday.
The suit, filed on behalf of Lockheed Martin employee Carol Bell in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that women at the company have been denied opportunities to advance their careers to upper management level positions.
The suit seeks an order for fair employment practices regarding promotion and hiring, an injunction barring Lockheed from any future acts of discrimination and undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages.
In a statement, Lockheed Martin said the lawsuit's allegations are "without merit and (we) intend vigorously to defend against them."
Bell's attorneys at Console Law Offices LLC filed the suit on behalf of Bell and all current and former female management level employees, who the suit alleges have been denied career advancement outside of "traditionally female" departments like human resources, communications and ethics departments since March 1, 2006.
In the complaint, Bell alleges that she and other women employed at Lockheed Martin have faced a "glass ceiling bias."
Bell also alleges that the company did not post openings for director-level positions, made promotion decisions during "secret meetings" where women were often not present and denied female employees leadership and mentoring opportunities.
Shares of Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin fell $1.61, or 2 percent, to $78.62 in afternoon trading as the broader market tumbled on disappointing retail sales and worries about the health of the banking industry.