CU Boulder reaches $4.5 million gender discrimination settlement

The University of Colorado at Boulder will soon pay out millions of dollars to 386 female faculty members as part of a $4.5 million “gender equity” lawsuit agreement.

CRP News has reported that the suit argued that apparent disparities in faculty members’ salaries and other forms of compensation violated several state and federal laws, including Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits “employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.”

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Mechanical Engineering Professor Shelly Miller, the lead representative in the case, expressed hope that the lawsuit will help preserve “equity” in the future, highlighting a section of the settlement agreement that requires the university to conduct “equity reviews” on a regular basis.

“On behalf of the class representatives, I can report that we are pleased that this matter has been resolved,” Miller told CPR News. “The plaintiff class has worked hard to ensure that the settlement includes periodic equity reviews and wage transparency. This is a critical part of the settlement and will help reduce or eliminate pay disparities between female and male UCB faculty members going forward.”

In settlement, CU Boulder will pay 386 “female-identifying” faculty members amounts ranging from several hundred to fifty thousand dollars in compensation for lost wages.

Denver-area civil rights Attorney Madeline Collison praised the professors’ win in court, celebrating their demand for wages as a “brave” step towards gender equity.

“They’re in a very impressive group of female professors,” Collison said. “They’re very brave for coming together to do this given that they’re existing employees, the risk of retaliation obviously is of concern. But there’s strength in numbers.”

Nationally, colleges and universities who employ equal numbers of men and women do not necessarily employ them in similar capacities. One March study found that although women hold roughly 50 percent of assistant professorships in STEM disciplines, this number drops to 45.4 percent and 32.8 percent of associate and full professorships, respectively.

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The CU Boulder settlement also reportedly notes that although the school will pay out the figures named in the agreement, the university formally denies each allegation of gender discrimination in the lawsuit “solely to avoid the expense, inconvenience, and inherent risk of litigation as well as continued disruption of its business operations.”

Campus Reform has reached out to CU Boulder for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.