A white professor has filed a lawsuit against a college in New Jersey after he discovered that his two black colleagues earn $45,000 more than him.
66-year-old William T. Lavell is suing Camden College after he saw the huge pay gap under the public records law, according to NJ.com.
The chemistry professor argues in his lawsuit that despite “similar tenure, qualifications, and experience,” his two black colleagues engineering professors Lawrence Chatman and Melvin Roberts earn more than him.
Records show that Lavell’s 2021 salary is $91,923, Chatman’s is $142,606, and Roberts’ is $137,157.
Lavell, who has taught at the college for 26 years, is now seeking more than $150,000 in damages. The suit argues that he has more “professional degrees in his field of concentration” than his two colleagues.
Chatman has 30 years of experience there and Roberts has over 31 years, online records show.
Lavell also lists a chemistry degree from Ursinus College, MA analytical chemistry from Villanova University, and Ph.D in organic chemistry from Princeton University.
According to online records, Chatman earned an electrical engineering degree from Rutgers, an MBA from University of Pittsburgh, and a Doctor of Education from Wilmington University. Roberts’ qualifications were not yet available.
Last November, Lavell reportedly complained to college President Donald Borden and senior staff with a “comparative analysis of the racial disparities in compensation between himself and similarly situated, non-Caucasian counterparts.”
Vice President Kathleen Kane allegedly “failed and refused to investigate or address plaintiff Lavell’s complaint of race discrimination.”
Jamison Mark, an employment lawyer, said: “The laws for discrimination are there for a reason. Whether you’re white, Black or brown, it doesn’t matter, you can’t be treated unfairly.”
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!
Replaced!