Vassar College, one of the first institutions of higher learning for women in the United States, prides itself for being a pioneer in women’s education and deeply committed to equality between the sexes. And yet, Vassar, a liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where tuition this year is $67,000, has systematically paid its female professors less than their male counterparts for the past two decades, according to a recent federal lawsuit. The suit, filed last month by five former or current tenured faculty members, has roiled the left-leaning campus with allegations of unequal pay, delayed promotions for female professors and a discriminatory performance-evaluation system. Hundreds of students rallied outside a faculty meeting last week to demand that female professors be paid the same as men. On a campus where the promise of gender equality is a draw for students seeking a college culture steeped in diversity and equity, many students interviewed said the issues raised by the suit had left them feeling betrayed.

---

Organizations: Vassar College Locations: United States, Poughkeepsie