Women professors sue Vassar, claim gender-based pay gap at college
POUGHKEEPSIE - A group of women professors announced Wednesday they are filing a class action lawsuit against Vassar College, alleging a longstanding gender-based pay gap.
According to the professors, average salary data reflect a gender pay gap at Vassar every year for the past two decades. They also allege the gap has grown over time, with the most recent data reflecting a 10% gender pay disparity at Vassar, and that the school has refused to address the issue.
Five professors are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit: Wendy Graham, professor of English; Maria Hohn, professor emerita of history; Mia Mask, professor of film; Cindy Schwarz, professor of physics; and Debra Zeifman, professor of psychological science.
An additional 35 women, full professors, supported the filing of the class action suit.
"It's unfortunate that we have to be here today, but standing up for the rights of women is part of why these professors came to teach at Vassar in the first place," Jessica Ramey Stender, policy director and deputy legal director of Equal Rights Advocates, a co-counsel for the plaintiffs, said in a statement.
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In response to the lawsuit, Vassar President Elizabeth H. Bradley issued a statement by Anthony J. Friscia, chair of the Board of Trustees, in which he said in part, "Vassar College has been working diligently and continuously on the issue of pay equity with a group of professors since 2019. Throughout this time, Vassar has been transparent and proactive in sharing the results of equity analyses. Vassar believes it pays its faculty fairly and equitably, and has complied with the law, and it would like to resolve this issue. I regret that the group of faculty members has now initiated litigation against Vassar."
The professors pointed to other claims including substantial differences in the starting salaries of men and women, a merit rating system they say is biased against women, and a discriminatory promotion system that systematically prevents or delays the advancement of women professors compared to men.
The lawsuit claims women professors at Vassar have tried for at least 15 years to work with the college to reach a solution. They claim the college has ignored the problem and decreased the level of pay transparency.
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In a joint statement, the five named plaintiffs said, "Through this action, we seek to achieve what we were prevented from accomplishing through private internal channels: gender equity for ourselves and other female full faculty, and the adoption of fair processes to ensure that future generations of faculty are paid, promoted and evaluated fairly."
Friscia said Vassar would "continue working to resolve this disagreement with these valued faculty members, whose many contributions are central to the mission and success of the institution."
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Women professors claim gender-based pay gap at Vassar College
