Smith v. Williams-Sonoma CA2/2

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Smith’s Complaint WSI hired Smith in 2005. She began as an associate, became a coordinator, and was promoted to assistant store manager in 2010. She voluntarily left WSI in 2011. When she later returned to WSI’s employ, she was not given a managerial position. She alleges that WSI has a poor attitude toward female employees and is reluctant to promote them. In 2012, Smith secured a lead position in inventory control at WSI’s distribution center. By 2018, she was the lead person in charge of customer returns. Though she supervised

1Undesignated statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure. Codefendant WSI managers Christopher Cuyler, Wesley Hashimoto, and Efren Sierra also appeal.

2 employees, Smith claims she had “no real management duties when compared to her male counterparts.” She believes men are paid more and criticized less than woman employees at WSI. She asserts that WSI created a hostile environment, placing women in entry level positions at undesirable stores, not promoting them as quickly as men, and treating them without respect. Smith alleges that she complained of violations of law and company policy, specifically about…