UW doesn’t discriminate

In 2000, five women faculty from the School of Dentistry sued the University of Washington, claiming that the University had an intentional program of discrimination in salary and promotion decisions against women faculty.

In December 2000, a King County Superior Court Judge certified that these five faculty members, three of whom are no longer at the University, could represent a class of all women faculty at the University. The University appealed that decision, asserting that it has never had a practie of discriminating against women faculty and that the preliminary certification of all women faculty as a class was inappropriate.

On Feb. 23, the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington granted the University’s motion to review the preliminary class certification decision.

The University of Washington has never had, nor will it ever allow, a policy or practice of intentionally discriminating against its female faculty. There are, however, barriers that do exist for women in academia. Many of these barriers are societal or institutionally based. I am committed to eliminating all barriers to the fair and equitable treatment of women.