Protecting your company from a gender discrimination lawsuit requires a commitment to creating clear staff policies, paying close attention to how your employees interact, and documenting just about everythingWhen news of gender ­discrimination and sexual harassment allegations filed against Sterling Jewelers hit the mainstream media in March, Carinthia Kishaba wasn’t surprised. She says she witnessed ­favoritism, inappropriate behavior, and unfair ­hiring practices when she worked for Shaw’s ­Jewelers, one of Sterling’s 12 chains, in Monroeville, Pa., a decade ago. She also noticed that none of the district managers were female. “You saw a lot of women on the sales floor, but men were still running the operation,” says Kishaba. Tired of the politics and doubtful that she’d be promoted, she left to work for a ­family-run operation, but the atmosphere wasn’t much bet