COLUMBIA, SC (AP) -- Two female agents with South Carolina's state police say they were denied promotions because of their gender.
Laurie V. Caldwell of Lexington County and Melody D. Wright of Richland County say in federal lawsuits filed last week against the State Law Enforcement Division that they were unfairly denied lieutenant's positions in 2006 and 2007.
Wright, who is black, also alleges that she was passed over because of her race.
The former head of the agency who was not named in the lawsuits denied the allegations.
Robert Stewart told The State newspaper of Columbia for a story Saturday that there were several women in supervisory positions when he retired from SLED in November 2007. Stewart says state and federal government agencies investigated and found no basis for the women's accusations.
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