• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, January 3, 2014

Craft Worldwide, the production unit of McCann Worldgroup, has been slapped with a sex and age discrimination suit by a former producer at the firm, Julie Collins.

Collins, 52, was let go in April of 2013 and filed suit last month.

Collins alleges that a restructuring that eliminated her job was “sham,” designed to replace her with a younger male employee.

In her complaint filed with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, she noted that shortly after termination Craft hired two producers -- “both male and approximately in their thirties.”

In addition to back pay and possible reinstatement, Collins asked the court for unspecified damages for the “pain and suffering, mental anguish, humiliation and emotional distress incurred as a result of Defendants’ unlawful conduct.”

Craft has until later this month to formally respond to the allegations.

McCann launched Craft globally in December of 2012 with a network of production hubs in 23 markets that are linked by a cloud-based technology platform that enables the production and distribution of ads around the world.