Legal Advocacy Fund Cases
Zimmerman v. University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
Case History
Katherine Zimmerman, a self-employed single parent, sued the University of California's Haas School of Business for discrimination in the admissions process.
When she applied to the MBA program in 1996, Zimmerman had 10 years of experience in the computer industry and was running her own computer consulting business from her home while raising two daughters. She applied to the part-time evening program so she could continue to manage her recently formed business and still have time to care for her young children. She was informed that the evening program required applicants to be "fully employed," which was defined as working 40 hours per week in a paid position outside the home. Zimmerman was told that 100 percent of stay-at-home mothers are turned away from the school's evening program, regardless of work history. She applied twice to the program and was rejected both times.
After filing her second application, Zimmerman was told she would not be interviewed unless her employment status changed. School officials later acknowledged that Zimmerman would not find many mothers in the evening program. Zimmerman sued UC-Berkeley and several Haas School of Business officials, challenging the business school's discriminatory admissions policies as adversely affecting women with children.
Zimmerman settled her lawsuit with the university in 2001. Although the university satisfied only one of the four terms she requested, Zimmerman was pleased that the principal term of her lawsuit was addressed.
Key Case Issue
Sex discrimination in admissions