Settled: Suit says woman was paid less than men for same job

A hotel in New Jersey has agreed to pay a female former housekeeper $35,000 to settle allegations that it paid male workers, including her son, more for performing the same job.

In addition to paying Rosa Lopez, Homewood Suites in Edgewater has agreed to state monitoring of its hiring, salary-setting and related complaint-handling processes for two years.

The state Civil Rights Division says the company hired Lopez in 2001 at a starting wage of $8 per hour. It says six male employees hired that year, including her son, got a starting wage of $9 to $10 an hour. Lopez received a 20-cent raise after a year.

The state says she was terminated after raising concerns with the owner in 2014.

The hotel has denied any liability or wrongdoing.