Smith Barney to settle bias suit

Citigroup Inc.’s Smith Barney agreed to resolve sex-bias claims by female brokers who said the company continued to discriminate against women after a 1997 sexual-harassment settlement.

The monetary terms weren’t revealed in a document disclosing the settlement and filed Monday in San Francisco federal court. The suit was brought in 2005, originally by four female brokers who claimed that Smith Barney steered accounts to their male counterparts, making it harder for women to earn commissions. They seek back pay and other damages.