A Port of Seattle employee is accusing the agency of discrimination after being passed over for a promotion two years ago.

In a lawsuit filed last month in King County Superior Court, Chris Linhardt's lawyers, James Owen Jr. and Vanessa Vanderbrug, allege that the Port of Seattle showed illegal prejudice against him because of his race, sex and sexual orientation.

Vying for an electrical foreman position, 50-year-old Linhardt said in the lawsuit that he was allegedly snubbed "in favor of a less qualified candidate," a woman who identifies as gay and Asian.

He wasn't promoted as a "qualified white heterosexual male employee," his lawyers said.

The Port denied accusations of discrimination in its answer filed in court.

Attorneys representing the Port, Denise Ashbaugh and Jonah Harrison, said in their response that Linhardt was qualified — but ultimately not the most qualified candidate for the role.

Ashbaugh and Harrison didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The Port does not comment on personnel matters, senior media officer Katherine Fountain said in response to a request for comment.

The Port's answer is "a standard denial and provides no real substantive information," said Vanderbrug on Thursday.

In late 2022, Linhardt worked in the electrical division at the Port and served temporarily as its electrical foreman for months, his lawsuit detailed.

When the Port sought to fill the position permanently in 2023, Linhardt applied. The lawsuit argued that he "ranked highest in the first-round interview."

The Port's attorneys countered that he received the highest score "due to a skewed ranking by (Linhardt's) direct supervisor and friend." In response to concerns about bias, a second round of interviews took place, with another employee ranking higher this time, according to the Port's lawyers.

Meanwhile, Linhardt's legal team alleged that the other employee was coached before the second round by the maintenance head, who was an interview committee member. The attorneys depicted the move as "an unfair advantage."

In February 2023, Linhardt's co-worker received the promotion, though his lawyers described her as a candidate with "substantially less supervisory and hands-on experience."

The Port is requesting the dismissal of Linhardt's claims, along with costs and expenses, including attorneys fees.

Linhardt is seeking damages tied to lost compensation from the missed promotion and emotional distress, plus attorneys' fees.

His legal team argued that the Port violated the Washington Law Against Discrimination, a state law that bars discrimination related to race, creed, national origin, marriage status, family status, sexual orientation, age and more at workplaces and in other areas.

"Our anti-discrimination laws are designed for the purpose of allowing individuals to be judged based on merit, not based upon skin color, sexual orientation or other immutable characteristics," Vanderbrug said in a phone interview shortly after filing the lawsuit. "From my perspective, these laws are designed to protect all of us — not simply traditional minority groups."

The Port of Seattle is a government agency that encompasses air and maritime travel. Established in 1911, it manages the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the seaport of Seattle. The agency maintains a goal of creating 300,000 regional jobs, according to its website. Its values include anti-racism and equity.

Linhardt's attorneys alleged their client's demographics meant he lost out on his promotion.

Linhardt "is fully supportive, of course, of diversity in the workplace, but has concerns that the manner in which the Port is attempting to achieve those diversity ends is really not serving the entire workforce," Vanderbrug said.

In its legal response, the Port argued that it "acted reasonably and in good faith.

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