A former top lobbyist at Eli Lilly (LLY) has filed a lawsuit accusing an executive and a senior manager at the drug maker of sexual harassment and discrimination, as well as retaliation against several women in its Washington, D.C., office.
In her lawsuit, Sonya Elling alleged that Leigh Ann Pusey, a senior vice president for corporate affairs, repeatedly made sexist remarks, undermined her authority, and subjected her to a sexually hostile work environment. Eventually, it alleges, Pusey forced her to resign following a “veiled threat” to fire her in the form of a warning to improve her job performance, which was “riddled with misrepresentations.”
A Lilly spokeswoman wrote us that the company “strongly denies the allegations in the lawsuit and will vigorously defend against these baseless claims.” She added that the company is “committed to fostering and promoting a culture of diversity and respect, and a work environment free of discrimination, harassment or retaliation of any kind.”
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