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University of California Settles Gender-Bias Suit
The University of California regents agreed in November to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by female employees of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The university operates the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy. The suit, originally filed in 1998, alleged that the lab had systematically discriminated against women in pay and promotion for decades.
The settlement provides $9.7 million to 3,200 women who have worked at the lab since 1996, plus a 1 percent raise for about 2,500 women who currently work there. The lab will also pay up to $8.2 million in attorney’s fees. Lab officials agreed to eliminate a ranking system for administrative employees and some technicians, continue an annual survey of women’s pay and promotion, and train lab supervisors to avoid gender discrimination.
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