University of Michigan Law Professor Files Lawsuit Against Dean, Alleges Racial and Gender-Based Discrimination
Laura Beny, University of Michigan Law School professor, filed a lawsuit in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the University and Law School Dean Mark West on Friday, claiming race, gender, familial and marital status discrimination.
The lawsuit, which names the University, the Law School and West as defendants, asserts that Beny experienced a hostile work environment created by her co-workers and employers throughout her time at the University.
The suit claims that she encountered multiple instances of gender and race discrimination in her classroom and, upon reporting, the situations were not remediated by the University. The lawsuit references the Law School’s “lock step” payroll policy in which employees hired at the same pay rate are expected to receive equivalent raises, and the lawsuit claims that Beny was not given pay raises in lock step with a white male and white female professor who were hired at the same salary as her.
