Chelsea Zahn says she was unfairly denied pay and opportunities.
A former employee of the Pittsburgh Steelers has taken the football team to court, alleging she faced discrimination on the job due to her sex and sexual orientation.
Chelsea Zahn worked for the Steelers from 2013 until 2024, when she left her role of corporate sales manager. In a federal court complaint filed January 13, Zahn alleges she was mistreated, paid less and denied promotions because she is a gay woman.
“Pittsburgh is Steelers town. We are very proud of our team,” Joel Sansone, the attorney representing Zahn, told The Advocate. “We can’t have them treating our citizens like this simply because they’re different.”
Sansone said Zahn earned more than $100,000 in bonuses and commissions in 2024, but Steelers owner Art Rooney II paid Zahn just half that sum because he felt “angry about her leaving.”
Zahn spent her time with the Steelers navigating hostile attitudes because she is gay, Sansone said, spurring her decision to quit.
“Management ignored her request for some sort of remedial action,” he said. “The conditions were so intolerable that anybody would feel compelled to leave.”
The complaint states that straight male coworkers who left the Steelers received full compensation for bonuses and commissions, but that Zahn has still not received the $100,000.
Zahn and other female employees were paid less than male colleagues for similar work, according to the suit. Zahn also alleged she was denied promotions due to a lack of experience, but less experienced male coworkers meanwhile rose through the ranks.
Once Zahn reached the role of corporate sales manager, the Steelers offered her a lower starting salary than the team did for men in the same position, the suit says. When Zahn’s coworkers learned she was gay, she says, supervisors treated her less favorably than straight male peers.
Zahn further said she was required to attend work events that straight male coworkers were not because she does not have children. Zahn felt this reflected bias against her for not conforming “to the gender stereotypes of a heterosexual woman,” per the complaint.
Taken together, these experiences harmed Zahn “emotionally, financially and professionally,” the lawsuit alleges — while violating state and federal laws around equal opportunity and timely compensation.
Media representatives for the Pittsburgh Steelers declined to comment on this story. Now,Zahn is seeking full compensation for the bonuses and commissions she earned in 2024, plus damages and attorney fees related to the lawsuit.
“What I'm hoping for is that the Steelers recognize that they made a mistake here and step up to the plate,” Sansone said. “Or step up to the line of scrimmage, I guess you'd say, and do what's right.”
This article originally appeared on Advocate: Ex-Steelers employee alleges antigay, sexist discrimination in lawsuit
Category: General Sports
