Sacked for being Aussie, woman claims

A former regional sales manager for red light camera operator Redflex Traffic Systems is suing the company in the US because she claims she was discriminated against for being Australian and a woman.

Catherine Petzel alleges in the lawsuit Redflex's former president and chief executive of North American operations, Karen Finley, made disparaging remarks about "the Australians" and their work ethic.

This is despite Redflex's parent company, Redflex Holdings Group, being Australian Stock Exchange-listed and headquartered in Melbourne.

Petzel, who was assigned to sell Redflex products in the US states of Ohio and Iowa, is seeking punitive and compensatory damages at a trial in the US District Court because she claims the company sacked her on "unlawfully discriminatory grounds" in 2012.

In court filings, Petzel cites a 2011 Redflex sales conference in the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City.

"Ms Finley referred to the work ethic of Australians, implying that Australians did not work as hard as their counterparts in the United States," Petzel's lawyer, John Camillus, wrote.

"Ms Petzel felt very embarrassed by Ms Finley's comments."

Finley is also at the centre of a bribery scandal in Chicago that has rocked Redflex's reputation and business in the US, once a major growth area for the company's photo enforcement technology.

Finley, 54, has entered not guilty pleas to 16 counts, including mail fraud, bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery counts.

She faces more than 20 years' jail if found guilty of the charges.

Petzel, in her lawsuit, claims Finley questioned how her Australian accent "was received" in the US marketplace and expressed concern "potential customers might view Redflex as being too Australian".

Redflex has asked for Petzel's lawsuit to be dismissed.

"Plaintiff has failed to adduce any direct evidence of gender or national discrimination," Redflex lawyers wrote in a memorandum to the judge.