Attorneys for

the Development Authority of Peachtree City are asking a federal court

to dismiss an equal pay lawsuit filed by former amphitheater director

Kristi Rapson.

Rapson has

sued the authority, alleging she was underpaid compared to then-tennis

center director Virgil Christian, who is now the authority's executive

director. The authority operates both venues.

In papers filed

last week, the authority maintains that while Christian was paid more

than Rapson, the two jobs are different in terms of the work they demand.

As tennis center

director, Christian supervised a regular staff of 35 employees (including

some part-timers) for a facility that was open to the public 364 days

a year, the authority claims. In contrast, Rapson oversaw three staffers

for a facility that was open to the public "only a few dozen evenings

per year," according to the authority.

The authority

also counters that Rapson's pay was increased by over $21,000 in 2000

after a compensation study that was conducted for the authority by a consulting

firm. Before Rapson resigned in 2002, she asked for her compensation to

be raised to $110,000, which was more than the highest-paid amphitheater

director in the 2000 compensation study, according to the authority.

Although Christian's

base salary is $30,000, he earns enough in yearly incentives to raise

that figure beyond the $100,000 mark. Those incentives are based on giving

tennis lessons, recruiting other professionals to give lessons and building

a membership from scratch, the authority stated in documents.

The authority

also claims that Rapson is ineligible for compensation under the equal

pay act because the tennis center and amphitheater are not part of a single

establishment, which is one of the legal requirements that must be met.