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Northern Michigan University settled for $1.46 million with four female professors of business who accused it of gender discrimination, the parties announced Thursday. The professors, Claudia Hart, Carol Steinhaus, Karin Stulz and Margaret Vroman, sued the university last year, alleging that Northern Michigan paid them all significantly less than their male counterparts at the same rank, on average. The professors also said the College of Business routinely gave male professors preferential treatment when it came to picking their classes and even going up for tenure. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission previously reviewed the professors' complaints, determining that Northern Michigan could address the matter through the commission’s conciliation process, The Mining Journal reported in January. The case eventually was referred to the Justice Department, which declined to prosecute it, and the women took their case to federal court.
Northern Michigan denied charges of gender discrimination throughout the process and continues to deny any liability or wrongdoing. Stulz said in a statement that “we have been fortunate to have friends, family and complete strangers stand by us and our cause for equal pay for equal work. We hope to inspire others to pursue justice.”
