Professor Sumangala Bhattacharya, an accomplished professor of English and world literature at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, was denied tenure by the College despite her excellent qualifications, two enthusiastically positive recommendations from the College’s tenure committee, and positive evaluations from her department, students, and external scholarly reviewers. Professor Bhattacharya and other female faculty members also reported gender-based pay inequities.

With the assistance of ERA and co-counsel, Professor Bhattacharya filed charges with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, and sexual orientation.  After receiving ERA’s complaint, Pitzer College reversed its previous position and awarded Professor Bhattacharya tenure.  ERA continues to work with co-counsel from Campins Benham-Baker, LLP to resolve Professor Bhattacharya’s pay discrimination claims.  Professor Bhattacharya alleges that she experienced ongoing pay discrimination from the outset of her employment at the College. She asserts that, despite having four years of prior tenure-track experience, the College placed her in an entry-level pay grade, and has paid her less than male professors with similar experience and qualifications throughout her employment at Pitzer.

According to Professor Bhattacharya: “I am surprised that a college that so strongly articulates a commitment to social responsibility would not be more concerned with investigating and addressing unequal treatment and would not work harder to maintain a fair, consistent, clear, and transparent process with respect to faculty promotions. I hope that changes will be made so that all junior faculty at the institution, particularly women and women of color, are not subjected to what I have gone through.”

ERA is continuing to take on gender discrimination in schools and colleges and the workplace in collaboration with sister organizations across the country, including the American Association of University Women.

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