Date: February 17, 2017
The Washington Post was among many outlets to cover the case of TELG client Betsy Ackerson, an administrator at the University of Virginia who alleges that she is paid less because she is a woman. In addition to the Post, coverage came from The Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Va.); Law360; The Cavalier Daily (U.Va.'s student-run paper); The Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch; television stations including CBS 19, NBC 29, and ABC 13; and many outlets that carried an Associated Press report, including WTOP news radio.
Quoteworthy:
From The Cavalier Daily: “Dr. Ackerson is not just trying to do this for herself, but really for other women at this University and elsewhere—because it’s just wrong,”
Adam Augustine Carter
[EXCERPT]
U-Va. official sues school for alleged gender discrimination
A high-ranking University of Virginia official has filed a federal lawsuit against the school, claiming she was paid too little because of gender discrimination.
In January 2013, U-Va. said in a statement that Betsy Ackerson, who had worked on creating new degree programs for the university from 2005 to 2007, had been hired to help manage the school’s strategic plan.
Ackerson, now 44, was to be paid $70,000 for the one-year appointment, the lawsuit said, though she had to perform many of the duties of a male administrator paid up to $250,000 per year.
After Ackerson complained about pay discrepancy and the scope of her duties was expanded, her contract was eventually extended and her salary rose to $110,000, though she lost her private office, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
» Read Dr. Ackerson’s complaint
[ADDITIONAL COVERAGE]
UVa official alleges gender discrimination in lawsuit
From The Daily Progress (Feb. 16, 2017)
A high-ranking University of Virginia official is suing the university for alleged gender discrimination and violation of disability law.
The Washington, D.C.-based Employment Law Group filed a lawsuit on behalf of Betsy Ackerson, an assistant vice provost at UVa, against the UVa Board of Visitors in federal court in Charlottesville on Wednesday afternoon.
Ackerson claims in the suit that the university has knowingly paid her less than her male counterparts since she was hired in 2012—although she claims she has carried a disproportionately high burden of the workload. Ackerson alleges that various university officials retaliated against her after she complained about the situation by reassigning her to a smaller office space after she took medical leave and giving her lower performance ratings than she believed she deserved.
UVA Administrator Says School Paid Her Less Than Men
From Law360 (Feb. 17, 2017)
An assistant vice provost of the University of Virginia filed an employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the school on Wednesday, alleging that she was paid notably less than male employees who essentially did the same work.
UVA Assistant Vice Provost Betsy Ackerson’s lawsuit alleges violations of the Equal Pay Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Rehabilitation Act. She says she was subjected to unequal pay for comparable work performed by male colleagues and that she was retaliated against for complaining about it.
“UVA willfully paid Ackerson a substantially lower salary than it paid her male colleagues who: performed substantially the same work, had the same level of responsibility and skill as Ackerson and worked under substantially the same conditions,” the complaint says. “UVA took this action against Ackerson based, in whole or in part, on her sex.”
» View on Law360.com (Site requires paid subscription)
More stories:
» Richmond Times-Dispatch (Feb. 15, 2017): UVa official alleges gender discrimination in lawsuit
» CBS 19 (Feb. 15, 2017): UVA sued for gender discrimination
» NBC 29 (Feb. 15, 2017): UVA Administrator Suing for Alleged Sexual Discrimination
» Cavalier Daily (Feb. 16, 2017): Administrator files employment discrimination suit against U.Va.
» ABC 13 (Feb. 16, 2017): UVa administrator files gender discrimination lawsuit
» WTOP Radio (Feb. 16, 2017): UVa administrator files gender discrimination lawsuit
