DURHAM, N.C. — A recent legal settlement marks another chapter in ongoing concerns over pay discrimination at Duke University’s School of Medicine. Former faculty member Rachel Lance settled her lawsuit against the university, which she initiated after alleging that she was paid less than her male counterparts and faced professional setbacks for raising the issue. Details of the settlement, finalized on Friday with a “stipulation of dismissal with prejudice,” were not disclosed, preventing Lance from reopening the case in the future.
Lance, previously an assistant consulting professor in the anesthesiology department, claimed she received unequal pay and was subjected to a hostile work environment after she reported her concerns. Her initial steps included multiple internal complaints starting in 2020, focusing primarily on an unfair workload without compensatory pay increase. An internal survey by the Academic Council’s Faculty Compensation Committee, conducted three months before Lance’s lawsuit was filed, supported allegations of a gender-based pay gap, specifically highlighting disparities affecting non-Hispanic white women across various faculty ranks.
In response to her complaints filed with Duke’s Office of Institutional Equity in 2021, Lance purportedly faced dire professional consequences. A controversial job offer subsequently stripped her of her principal investigator status, reassigning her projects to a male colleague and presenting demotion options. When Lance rejected these options, her faculty contract was allowed to lapse, effectively leaving her employed without an active agreement.
The environment reportedly worsened following her initial Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint, as Lance attempted to transfer departments but found her reputation maligned, according to court documents. Furthermore, her legal complaints were allegedly not kept confidential, leading to further workplace isolation and pressure from colleagues to retract her claims.
As of the most recent updates, Lance’s profile still lists her as a faculty member at Duke, although attempts to reach her through her university email were unsuccessful, suggesting changes to her employment status that have not been publicly clarified.
This case is not isolated in Duke’s history. Previously, in 2018, a lawsuit was filed by another anesthesiology faculty member alleging discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which resulted in non-renewal of the faculty contract. Such recurring legal challenges highlight ongoing issues within the university concerning workplace equity and faculty rights.
The broader implications of these lawsuits point towards a need for systemic change within academic institutions to ensure equitable treatment and transparent grievance procedures. Duke’s internal reviews and adjustments following these legal disputes will be pivotal in setting a precedent for academic employment practices nationwide.
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