The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asked a federal court Friday to enforce a subpoena it filed against KUTV, seeking information about alleged sex and age discrimination.
The Salt Lake station had refused to honor the federal agency's subpoena.Bonnie R. Egelund, West Valley City - KUTV's former personnel director - filed the charge of discrimination with the EEOC's Phoenix office. Egelund claimed she was fired because she was over 40 years old and a woman.
In a related development, a deposition is scheduled to be taken Monday from another woman, former reporter Jennifer Skiff, who sued KUTV claiming it discriminated against her financially and that a senior male reporter sexually harassed her.
In the Skiff suit, KUTV has filed a response denying almost all of the ex-reporter's allegations in her sex-discrimination suit.
Egelund's complaint was filed with the EEOC's Phoenix district office on May 22, 1986, but the subpoena wasn't delivered until nearly two years later.
According to federal court documents, Egelund filled out a complaint on May 22, 1986, saying, "I have reason to believe I have been illegally discriminated against, based on my age (42) and my sex (female)."
It says she was terminated on Feb. 28, 1986, with the reason given that the station was having a reduction in force.
But in March 1986, the complaint says, "my job was advertised in the Salt Lake Tribune under a different title for less pay."
A subpoena issued by the EEOC against KUTV on July 6 requests that the station turn over information about the Egelund case.
Patricia M. Leith of a law firm representing KUTV has written to the commission that the station will not produce the documents on the grounds that the EEOC lacks jurisdiction in the matter.
EEOC trial lawyer Karen L. Tarr, Phoenix, filed a request with U.S. District Judge David Sam Friday afternoon, asking that he enforce the subpoena.