Professors Accuse Vassar College of Gender Discrimination
Five current and former professors have accused one of the country’s earliest women’s colleges, Vassar College, of discriminating against its female employees. They filed a lawsuit against the college on August 30, alleging that Vassar historically underpaid women and impeded their promotions through a biased evaluation process favoring men.
The women behind the lawsuit seek gender equity for themselves and future female faculty members. They also demand fair processes for pay, promotions, and evaluations. Wendy Graham, Maria Höhn, Mia Mask, Cindy Schwarz, and Debra Zeifman are the plaintiffs, with 36 other female faculty members supporting their cause.
According to the lawsuit, gender pay disparities at Vassar begin right from the hiring process, with women consistently receiving lower salaries for similar positions. During the 2021-2022 academic year, male employees made an average of $153,238, nearly $14,000 more than their female colleagues.
Vassar College, originally founded in 1861 as an all-women university and now co-ed since 1969, has a rich history in women’s education. It calls itself a pioneer for women’s education and has been part of the Seven Sisters group since 1926.
However, the plaintiffs argue that women at Vassar often face initial denials of full professorship or more resistance than men. They also receive lower merit rankings compared to male faculty.
The Chair of the Board of Trustees, Anthony Friscia, defended Vassar’s performance review process and faculty-led salary setting. He stated that the college believes it pays faculty fairly and equitably and is committed to resolving the issue.
But the plaintiffs claim that Vassar has ignored their concerns since 2008 and reduced transparency by stopping the sharing of average and median salary raises.
Kelly Dermody, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, hopes this case will prompt Vassar to align its actions with its public commitment to gender equality.