New Mexico State University is facing a lawsuit from the Justice Department, alleging that the school discriminated against a female former assistant track coach by paying her less than similarly-situated men.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, alleges that over the relevant periods of time, NMSU paid Meaghan Harkins thousands of dollars less per year than it paid to two male assistant track coaches with similar responsibilities.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said, “Women deserve the same salary and the same respect as their male colleagues with similar job duties.”
The lawsuit is a result of a charge of sex discrimination filed by Harkins with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC’s El Paso Area Office investigated the charge and found reasonable cause to believe that NMSU discriminated against Harkins.
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez of the District of New Mexico said, “This lawsuit reflects the recognition by the Department of Justice of the bedrock principle of equal pay for equal work and that this principle must be applied to all employees within the public sector workforce.”
The Justice Department’s filing of the lawsuit marks a significant step in enforcing federal law and closing the wage gap.
More information about Title VII and other federal employment laws is available on the Civil Rights Division’s website at www.justice.gov/crt.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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