Case History
Carol Mandell, a former lecturer in clinical pathology and assistant clinical professor at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine, sued the university for sex, age, and national origin discrimination in violation of California state laws. 

Mandell, a doctor of veterinary medicine with a Ph.D. in Comparative Pathology from UC Davis, was employed for 15 years at the university, from 1985 to 2000. During her time at UC Davis, Mandell served in various teaching and research capacities. Her most recent position at the university included a split appointment, where she served as a lecturer in clinical pathology in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at the School of Veterinary Medicine and as an assistant research pathologist in the School of Medicine.

In 1999 Mandell applied for the tenure-track position of assistant professor of clinical pathology. She, along with three other women and one man, were interviewed for the position. Mandell later learned that she did not make the short list of candidates for the position. Of the three candidates on the short list, two were women and one was a man; all were under 40 years of age. Ultimately, the male candidate received the position. In early 2000, a UC Davis official informed Mandell that the university would not renew her appointment as lecturer.

Mandell believed that her qualifications for the position equaled or exceeded those of the two female candidates on the short list. She also maintained that she and the two women on the short list had qualifications that exceeded those of the successful male candidate. Specifically, Mandell claimed that the male candidate did not even have his doctorate at the time of his application for the position. She that the male candidate was being groomed and was pre-selected for the position due to his connections with a member of the search committee and the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Mandell further alleged that she was discriminated in the hiring process because she was more than 40 years of age. She claimed that during and after the interview process, a member of the search committee and other UC Davis faculty within the School of Veterinary Medicine made a number of age-biased statements, and many indicated that the university was looking to hire someone young for the position.

In 2000 Mandell filed suit in California state court. In 2002 the district court granted summary judgment to the University, dismissing Mandell's case in its entirety. Upon reconsideration, the court upheld its ruling.In October 2004, the California Court of Appeals for the Third Appellate District reversed the lower court's decision dismissing Mandell's age discrimination claim and remanded the case to the trial court with instructions. However, it upheld the lower court's decision dismissing her gender discrimination claim.

Sex and age discrimination in the hiring process in violation of California state laws.

Other Links
 Return to case list