SEATTLE - A King County Superior Court judge Friday certified a class action lawsuit filed by a group of female University of Washington faculty members against the university. The lawsuit, brought by female professors in the dental and medical schools, alleges that the university knowingly discriminated against female faculty by paying them less and providing them fewer advancement opportunities than their male counterparts.

The judge's order extends the suit, originally filed in April, to include the estimated 2,500 former and current faculty members who worked for the 138-year-old University from August 18, 1994 until the present.

The suit claims that the university knowingly permitted its policies and actions to allow for substantial salary disparities of as much as 18 percent between equally qualified female and male faculty members. It also claims that the university provided female faculty members with fewer opportunities for advancement and tenure.

The suit seeks an end to the alleged discriminatory practices, and monetary compensation for those affected.

According to Steve Berman, attorney for the plaintiffs, the suit seeks to correct documented inequities that have existed at Washington state's largest university for years. "We have abundant information, including studies commissioned by the university's own president, Richard McCormick, that paint a very clear picture: women faculty members are paid and promoted less favorably than their male counterparts," Berman said. "The unusual part of this case is that the university's own studies prove this disparity but the administration refuses to remedy the inequity," he added.

In court documents, the plaintiffs claim that UW officials at the highest level have known gender disparity exists at their school and have attempted to minimize or mask its significance. "Aside from the vast disparity in pay, we believe that the evidence will show that the university provided fewer grants and resources to female faculty members, which further hinders their opportunity for advancement," Berman added.

According to Berman, the number of tenured female faculty is another stark example of inequity at the university. "The numbers say it all: only 24.8 percent of all tenure-track faculty are women, while 60 percent of the lower-paid non-tenure-track faculty members are women," he added. King County Superior Court Judge Glenda Hall signed the order certifying the class after hearing arguments from both sides. Attorneys for the class will contact all class members with information about the suit in January. Class members will have the option to participate in the class action or opt out of the suit.

With the judge's certification, the suit now represents all past, present and future female faculty members (tenure and non-tenure track) employed by the University of Washington after August 18, 1994, including medical school faculty and those faculty employed at the Bothell and Tacoma campuses. Excluded from the class are all clinical, affiliate, visiting, temporary and extension faculty who are not primarily compensated by the University but who hold faculty titles, and medical residents, teaching assistants, research assistants and librarians. Also excluded are all female faculty members who have settled and released the University from claims covered by this case for the period August 18, 1994 to the present.

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About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with offices in nine cities. The firm has been named to the National Law Journal’s Plaintiffs’ Hot List seven times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at@ClassActionLaw.

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