University of Denver professor Lucy Marsh has charged the Sturm College of Law with violating federal law by paying her less because of her gender. She has filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A spokeswoman from Denver University commented, “we do not discuss active complaints, nor do we discuss confidential personnel information.”
This marks the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, aimed at making sure that gender bias doesn’t result in wage discrimination, paying women less than a man in a similar job. According to the EEOC, in 2012 women earned only 77 percent of what their male counterparts earned, and “at the current rate of progression, the gender wage gap will not close until 2057.”
The Tuesday filing describes a very sharp income gap and inequality between male and female full-time professors at Sturm College. Professor Marsh believes that the female professors at the law school were discriminated against because of their gender. They were paid less than men while performing equal work. Professor Marsh was shocked to see the situation was getting worse. She felt that the institution understood their behavior, had a chance to correct it, but instead added more fuel to the fire.
Professor Lucy Marsh is the daughter of Thompson Marsh, a respected DU law school professor. She graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. Professionally she has worked for Dale Tooley at the Denver District Attorney’s office 1976-79 and served on the Colorado Real Estate Commission from 1977-82, where she was appointed by former Gov. Richard Lamm. She has received professional honors from “The Colorado Lawyer” and the Denver Bar Association, and in 2010 she won the “Excellence in Teaching” award at the University of Denver’s annual Law Stars fundraiser, according to the Denver Post.
Professor Marsh seems prepared for the long fight. “You are taking a risk with something like this,” she said. “They will try to point out everything I have ever done wrong. I think they will come up empty-handed. But I was a litigator once, and I know they try to tear people apart.”