In a significant decision for employment and discrimination law, Drexel University was unsuccessful in its efforts to secure a new trial against a judgment concerning pay discrimination. The university had been found liable under the Equal Pay Act for paying a female professor less than her male counterparts in its English and Philosophy department, an issue that resulted in a jury awarding the complainant $354,993 in damages.
The federal judge in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected Drexel’s claim that the liability was unfairly imposed prior to trial. The court had penalized Drexel due to the university’s inadequate disclosure of pay data—key evidence in the pay bias claim. Specifically, Drexel only provided redacted W-2 tax forms, which the court deemed insufficient for disproving allegations of pay discrimination.
This decision underscores the critical importance of full disclosure in employment litigation, particularly in matters involving claims under the Equal Pay Act. It reinforces a cautionary precedent for educational institutions and employers, stressing the necessity of transparency in salary data during litigation processes.