Microsoft sued by homosexual ex-worker

SEATTLE: A former employee of Microsoft Corp. has sued the world's largest software maker for sexual harassment, saying that a manager discriminated against her after she attended a national gay and lesbian conference.

Barbara Campbell, who worked at Microsoft's Washington, D.C., office in sales, said she was open about her sexual orientation at Microsoft and even attended the National Conference of Gay and Lesbian Rights at the behest of the company.

In the complaint, filed in Federal Court in the District of Columbia, Campbell said her immediate manager, Tiffany Treacy, was unaware of her sexual orientation until she was selected to attend the conference.

"Following Ms. Campbell's disclosure of her lesbianism, Ms. Treacy's attitude, conduct and responses to Ms. Campbell changed dramatically, and for the worse," the complaint read.

Campbell said she quit Microsoft in April 2003 after she was told to achieve unrealistic goals and blocked from taking other positions within the company.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said the allegations were without merit.

"Microsoft is 100 percent committed to diversity and is committed to becoming a diversity leader in the technology industry," a Microsoft spokeswoman said.

Campbell was not immediately available for comment. The plaintiff said in the complaint that she had sought employment at Microsoft again in 2004 but was turned down.