A former top executive at Noble Americas Corp. terminated in January has sued the Stamford-based company, claiming she faced gender and age discrimination, retaliation and verbal abuse.
In a 56-page federal lawsuit filed Sunday in U.S. District Court, Wendy Ramos said unwanted sexual comments were commonplace at the company, creating a hostile work environment that caused her emotional distress and anxiety.
Ramos began working for the company in 1997 and was promoted several times, including her most recent promotion in 2004 to global director of Oil Liquids Chartering. Noble manages a portfolio of global energy supply chains.
Ramos claims a new boss in 2014, Jeff Frase, then global head of oil, asked if she was married and then talked about his ex-wife in derogatory terms, telling Ramos "anybody with a vagina gets what they want." On another occasion, Ramos claims, during a 2015 meeting to discuss restructuring, CEO Frase referred to a young intern's "D cups," and others laughed, including a human resources executive, the lawsuit alleges.
Ramos also claims she was paid less than some men who reported to her and that she was often referred to as the "oldest Noble employee." A Weston resident, Ramos is 46 years old. She is suing for, among other things, compensatory and punitive damages and attorney fees.
This story will be updated later today.