UC Boulder professors get their salaries back in settlement

Hundreds of female professors at the University of Colorado Boulder will receive salary reimbursement as part of a $4.5 million settlement in a gender discrimination lawsuit filed against the university , Colorado Public Radio reported last week.

“CU Boulder is committed to providing fair and equitable wages to all employees across all disciplines,” Nicole Mueksch, a university spokesperson, told public radio. “As part of its ongoing commitment to pay equity, the university will ensure that academic units maintain pay equity among faculty members, maintain transparency of faculty salaries, and conduct analysis of campus-wide pay equity every three years.

The case stems from a 2021 equity review, which found that 386 female-identifying faculty members, many of whom are at the top of their fields, at CU Boulder were not paid as much as their male counterparts.

These disparities match national data: In 2023, full-time male professors earned an average of $20,000 more per year than full-time female professors, according to a survey by the American Association of University Professors.

Although CU Boulder implemented raises for female faculty it identified as victims of a gender pay gap, the university did not issue back pay, which is legally required by state and federal laws.

In addition to arguing that such actions violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the suit also alleged that the university violated both Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and the Colorado anti-discrimination law.

The amount of back pay each plaintiff can receive ranges from hundreds of dollars to $50,000 in some cases; Of the $4.5 million, $1.1 million will be used to pay legal fees.

But regardless of the settlement, CU Boulder said it still denies any allegations of wrongdoing, liability and damages and agreed to the settlement “for the sole purpose of avoiding the expense, inconvenience and inherent risk of litigation as well as continued disruption to its business operations.” » according to the CPR.