CVC Capital Partners broadly denied claims of sex-based discrimination brought by a former managing director, adding fuel to a public dispute that has shined a light on long-standing gender issues in the private equity business.

In a filing late March 29 in the US District Court for New York's Southern District, the private equity firm denied that the former employee, Lisa Lee, was fired because of her gender, arguing that Lee's strained relationships with co-workers led to her dismissal, which was part of a "wider restructuring" of her department.