Legal Advocacy Fund Cases
Stepien v. Case Western Reserve University
Case History
Carol Stepien, a former assistant professor of biology at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, sued the university for sex discrimination in the denial of tenure in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Ohio state laws and retaliation for complaining about sex discrimination in violation of Ohio state laws.
Stepien joined the university in 1992 as a tenure-track assistant professor in the university’s biology department. At the time of her hire, she represented the only female tenure track faculty member in the department. Stepien alleged that throughout her employment, male faculty within her department subjected her to a hostile work environment because of her gender.
The biology department reviewed Stepien’s tenure application in 1998 and recommended that she be denied tenure. This decision was affirmed by higher levels of the review process at the university. Stepien challenged the decision to the university’s president, who gave her the opportunity to reapply for tenure a second time. She also filed an internal grievance against her department chair. Following its investigation, the hearing committee found that the department “may have inadvertently engaged in gender discrimination,” and made recommendations to facilitate the tenure process. Upon review, the president disagreed with the committee’s findings and rejected their recommendations.
Stepien reapplied for tenure in 1999 and upon review, the department faculty recommended against tenure. The decision was again affirmed by the higher levels of the review process. Stepien filed internal grievances against two university officials regarding circumstances surrounding her tenure review. Following its investigations, the hearing committee found in Stepien’s favor on many of her allegations and made a number of recommendations. Upon review, the president disagreed with the committee’s findings and rejected their recommendations.
Stepien claimed that she received no explanation for her tenure denial. Stepien stated that the department did not dispute her training, scholarship, and research accomplishments, and further contended that the department’s allegations against her of uncollegiality were motivated by gender discrimination. Stepien was the first woman to be considered for tenure and promotion in the biology department in nearly 25 years. Case In addition, Stepien noted that biology department was 92 percent tenured male during her first tenure review and 100 percent tenured male during her second review.
Stepien filed lawsuits in both state and federal courts in 2001. She reached a confidential settlement in both cases with the university in 2002.
Key Issues
Sex discrimination in the denial of tenure in violation of both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Ohio state laws and retaliation for complaining about sex discrimination in violation of Ohio state laws.