In a big settlement for the gender-pay gap, the University of Denver will pay $2.7 million after an unequal-pay lawsuit was brought by female professors. This is a huge victory for those fighting for equal pay and shows that change for women is coming. The employment law case was originally brought by one female professor in 2013. However, the case built momentum when she joined forces with other female professors who believed they were also underpaid.
At the time, the female professor was paid $40,000 less than the university average for the same position. She had been teaching for several decades and had never asked for a raise, making $109,000 per year. Meanwhile, the median salary for professors was $149,000. In 2012, DU announced it would use earmarked money for faculty raises, and the female professor raised concerns about gender parity and asked that the additional money be used to remedy inequities. Raises were given, but they widened the pay gap, leaving female full-time professors earning a mean salary $15,859 less than male professors.
Six other female professors then joined the cause. Along with the settlement, DU is required to seek the advice of an outside consultant who will monitor the pay for law professors for six years to ensure that female law professors are not discriminated against. In addition, DU must make all salaries of the professors in the law department available on an internal webpage.
If you are being treated unfairly in the workplace, you should contact an attorney to discover whether you might be able to file a case for discrimination.