BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Anna Feder filed a complaint on September 22 in the Suffolk County Superior Court against Emerson College and Brooke Knight for gender discrimination, unequal pay and unlawful retaliation.
According to the complaint, Feder was hired by Emerson College in 2007 as the Program Coordinator of the Visual and Media Arts Department and currently serves as the Head of Film Exhibition and Festival Programs. Knight became Feder's supervisor in 2012 and was Feder's direct supervisor until July 2019.
Feder alleges that Knight told upper administration that Feder should not be promoted despite her serving on numerous committees, becoming an expert in film exhibitions and representing the college on multiple panels at many film industry conferences.
Knight allegedly asked Feder on multiple occasions to perform administrative tasks outside her scope of job duties and to pitch in with helping support staff while other salaried male subordinates were not asked to do the same, the suit says. Feder also claims that she is paid $15,000 less than a male co-worker that has a less demanding role than Feder and that the college refuses to pay her correctly despite her having more expertise and a broader more complex role in her job duties.
Feder seeks an increase in pay, monetary damages, treble damages, lost wages, attorney's fees and cost of suit. Feder is represented by Matthew J. Fogelman of Fogelman Law LLC.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Superior Court Department of the Trial Court case number 21-2156D