Penn State University to Pay $703,000 After Gender Pay Discrimination Allegations

The Penn State University campus in University Park, Pa., on Nov. 8, 2011. Rob Carr/Getty Images

Penn State University, the largest public university in Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $703,742 in back wages and interest to resolve allegations of gender pay discrimination against female employees at the University Park campus, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) said on Sept. 18.

The department said a compliance review found that, since July 1, 2020, Penn State paid 65 female employees less than their male counterparts who held similar positions in facilities operations and maintenance, extension education, and senior administration jobs.

This also included some female faculty members in research professor roles and some women in teaching professor roles, the DOL said.

The DOL said Penn State’s actions violated Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

Under the agreement, Penn State University will issue $682,418 in back pay and $21,323 in interest to resolve the alleged violations.

The university also agreed to enter into a conciliation agreement to remedy the allegations and take steps to ensure its compensation practices and policies are free from discrimination, the DOL said in a statement.

The department did not provide further information regarding the exact differences in pay between the male and female staff at the university.

“While the number of affected employees was small relative to the overall campus population, the University takes such matters seriously and worked diligently with the government to reach a resolution that fairly compensated the affected women,” Suzanne Adair, Penn State’s associate vice president for equal opportunity and access, said in a statement to multiple media outlets. “We appreciate the government’s efforts and are pleased that the audit identified the pay anomalies so that corrective action could be taken.”

This year, Penn State received more than $178 million in payments from federal contracts with various agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NASA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the departments of Defense and Agriculture, DOL said.

“The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs [OFCCP] ensures that federal contractors provide workplaces free from discrimination,” OFCCP Acting Director Michele Hodge said in a statement. “Penn State must make certain its employment practices comply with all federal law, including those that seek to eliminate gender-based barriers to equal employment.”

Penn State’s policy is to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person based on their age, race, sex, gender, and more, according to the university’s website.

“Discriminatory conduct and harassment violate the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University’s educational mission, and will not be tolerated,” it says.

Penn State did not admit to any violations as part of the settlement.

The Epoch Times contacted a spokesperson for Penn State University for further comment but didn’t receive a reply by publication time.