DENVER (Legal Newsline) -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced a lawsuit against the University of Denver for allegations of paying female employees lower wages than men.
"Enforcing the Equal Pay Act and closing the pay gap are priorities for EEOC," EEOC Phoenix District Office regional attorney Mary Jo O'Neill said. "By enforcing the EPA and Title VII's prohibition on compensation discrimination based on sex, EEOC ensures that women will be equally and fairly paid for the same work. The guarantee of equal pay for equal work applies to the professional academic setting of a university just the same as any other workplace."
According to the EEOC, the University of Denver subjected a class of female full law professors at its Sturm College of Law to discrimination by paying them lower salaries than their male counterparts who were doing substantially equal work under similar working conditions. The commission seeks back pay for lost wages, as well as liquidated damages and punitive damages.
"It's not only unfair when women are paid less than men when they perform substantially equal work under similar working conditions -- it's against the law,” said Elizabeth Cadle, acting district director of EEOC's Phoenix District Office. “EEOC is committed to ensuring that women in all workplaces receive equal pay to which they are entitled."