Voice of Equality

Women's advocate Elizabeth Grossman takes on Wall Street in her fight against gender discrimination.

When Elizabeth Grossman, acting regional attorney in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's New York District office, learned that Allison Schieffelin was the victim of gender discrimination at Morgan Stanley investment bank, she suspected Schieffelin wasn't the only one. Along with a team of lawyers and investigators, Grossman tracked down other women who had been denied pay and promotions because of their gender. Last year, EEOC and Morgan Stanley settled the lawsuit for a record-breaking $54 million.

"Some people have a sense that what you're seeing is just not all of it. They . . . realize that there were other victims," says James Lee, EEOC deputy general counsel. Grossman is that kind of attorney, he says.

While the Morgan Stanley case landed her photo in The New York Times, Grossman started turning heads in 1995 when she represented 15 female employees who were sexually harassed by the chief executive of cosmetics maker Del Laboratories Inc. in Uniondale, N.Y. The case was settled for more than $1 million, the largest ever sexual harassment settlement on record at the time.

"I know it had a huge effect on other people coming forward," says Grossman. The 38-year-old joined EEOC shortly after graduating from the University of Michigan's law school. She says working in government enables her to focus on eradicating discrimination without getting distracted by the profit needs of a private law firm.

Grossman's settlements almost always include a training component. In the Morgan Stanley case, $2 million went to diversity programs at the firm. She says she thinks the financial services industry re-examined its promotion and pay practices. "Every indication I've gotten tells me yes, the industry changed because of that," she says.

She has passed on her passion to a new generation of lawyers through her work with interns. "They get their inspiration from her," says Spencer Lewis, director of EEOC's New York district office.

Women's rights have always been important to Grossman, but she's also working on several cases involving employers' English-only rules in the workplace. She says the rules constitute discrimination based on nationality.

"My parents encouraged me to value diversity and fairness. . . . I've tried to keep those priorities," she says.