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Syracuse University will pay close to $4 million in a settlement regarding discriminatory payment practices.

Five female faculty members at SU allege that policies relating to compensation and promotions negatively impacted them and other female colleagues, the law firm Outten & Golden stated in a release on Friday.

The settlement is not an admission of liability on behalf of the university, the release writes. To resolve the claim, SU will pay $3,713,000.

“We are pleased that Syracuse (University) has agreed to resolve the claims,” said Deirdre Aaron, a partner at Outten & Golden, in the release. “The settlement will provide meaningful relief to our clients and other female faculty.”

Documentation from the New York State Unified Court System lists Fiona Chew, Tula Goenka, Barbara Jones, Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn and Audie Klotz as the five faculty members involved in the lawsuit. Four of the plaintiffs also allege that the university promoted less qualified male faculty members to positions the plaintiffs were qualified to hold.

SU’s 2017 Faculty Salary Review Committee’s Final Report found that the average salary for women is lower than men’s at the professor and associate professor ranks. The report stated that the gap in average salaries between male and female professors was about $14,200 and the gap in average salaries between male and female associate professors was about $5,700.

“We continue to work closely with academic leadership to ensure salaries are commensurate with every faculty member’s job responsibilities, efforts and accomplishments, regardless of gender,” said Steve Bennett, senior vice president for academic operations at SU.

Published on October 1, 2021 at 8:35 pm

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard