4 Takeaways From Female Law Profs' Equal Pay Settlement

Law 360, 4 Takeaways From Female Law Profs' Equal Pay Settlement:

Last month, a Colorado federal judge approved a deal in which the University of Denver agreed to institute salary increases and pay $2.66 million to settle an equal pay lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of seven female professors. The EEOC took up the case after investigating a charge of sex discrimination in compensation made by Sturm College of Law professor Lucy Marsh. A 2012 letter from the law school had observed pay differences between male and female professors several years before the filing of the complaint. However, the law school did not take steps to address the gap, and further salary increases widened it. Marsh, the lowest-paid professor, then filed a charge with the EEOC.

The agreement’s terms include significant injunctive provisions in a six-year consent decree. Below are four key takeaways from the agreement:

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Female Denver Law Prof Files EEOC Complaint Over Lowest Salary Among Tenured Professors ($109,000) ( (July 11, 2013)
• EEOC: Denver Law School Is Underpaying Female Faculty, Who May Recover $1.2 Million In Damages (Sept. 1, 2015)
• EEOC To Sue Denver Law School For Underpaying Female Faculty (Oct. 1, 2016)
• More On The EEOC's Lawsuit Against Denver Law School For Underpaying Female Faculty (Oct. 3, 2016)
• The Market Myth And Pay Disparity in Legal Academia: We Should Amend The Equal Pay Act To Prohibit Market Excuses For Pay Differentials (Oct. 26, 2016)
• Denver Law School Faces Federal Equal Pay Lawsuit From Eight Female Professors (May 15, 2017)
• Three More Female Law Profs Sue University Of Denver Over Pay Gap (June 20, 2017)
• DuVivier, Sterling (Associate Dean For Faculty Scholarship) Join Lawsuit Alleging Gender Discrimination In Faculty Salaries At Denver Law School (Aug. 23, 2017)
• Seven Female Denver Law Profs To Receive $2.7m In EEOC Settlement Of Equal Pay Claim (May 18, 2018)