“I’m feeling very proud of our class representatives for pursuing this action,” said Dr. Shelly Miller, lead plaintiff, professor and chair of the Boulder Faculty Assembly. “In the beginning, it took a lot of courage from many of us. Many of our colleagues were hesitant to go forward, but in the end, we found the courage and support from each other to do it.”
While the university has denied any allegations of wrongdoing, the settlement was declared a major victory by women’s groups who have raised the issue of pay inequities for many years. In fact, in a report released in September, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) found that women working full-time, year-round earned 83% of what men earned in 2023 — a decline from the previous year’s 84%.
The lawsuit alleged gender wage discrimination in violation of the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Following the passage of the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act in 2019, CU Boulder conducted an equity analysis in 2021 to determine whether it complies with the new law. The Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act was enacted on Jan. 1, 2021, and was created to close the gender pay gap.
