A federal lawsuit

filed by Peachtree City's former amphitheater director against the city's

Development Authority has been expanded to include a complaint that she

was discriminated against after she complained about her salary.

Kristi Rapson

added the discrimination charges to her equal pay lawsuit against the

authority, which operates the city's amphitheater and tennis center.

In court documents,

the authority denies the discrimination charges and contends that Rapson's

pay was increased by 100 percent after she complained about the disparity

between her pay and that of then-tennis center director Virgil Christian,

who is now the authority's executive director.

Rapson's raise

was more than the amount recommended by a pay study commissioned by the

authority to study the directors' salaries, the authority claims. And

although Rapson's pay was increased at the time, Christian's wasn't, the

authority indicates.

"Christian's

duties, which included giving tennis lessons, hiring and developing approximately

30 employees and presiding over the building and construction of the tennis

center were not comparable to the plaintiff's duties and responsibilities

in any respect," the authority said in a legal document responding

to the suit.

Rapson claims

the authority retaliated against her by reducing her duties as amphitheater

director which became "a constructive demotion."

Rapson's amended

complaint also alleges that a pay inequity still exists between the new

amphitheater director, whom she believes is paid half as much as the new

tennis center director. The authority denies that and argues Rapson was

not demoted before she resigned in November of last year.

In addition

to seeking monetary damages for lost pay and mental and emotional suffering,

Rapson also wants the court to issue an injunction against the authority

to keep it from using discriminatory employment policies and practices.

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