LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered a Wood River bank to pay more than $30,000 to a female employee after ruling it unlawfully paid her less than a male counterpart.

Heritage Bank was ordered Tuesday to pay $30,598 to Christine Schwieger.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the bank last month, saying it paid Schwieger $10,000 a year less than a male employee in the same position for several years for no reason other than her gender. The commission said the bank also ignored her complaints about the discrepancy, violating the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

The order also requires Heritage Bank to implement policy and procedural changes to prevent future discrimination.