icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
31 Mar, 2021 01:02

White professor sues New Jersey college for ‘discrimination’ after finding out that black colleagues are paid far more than him

White professor sues New Jersey college for ‘discrimination’ after finding out that black colleagues are paid far more than him

A white New Jersey college professor has sued his employer for racial discrimination after learning that two black co-workers with credentials allegedly inferior to his own were making at least 49% more money than him.

William Lavell's lawsuit against Camden County College was filed on Friday in the US District Court in Camden, New Jersey. The 66-year-old chemistry professor alleged that after obtaining payroll data under the state's open records law, he found “stark racial disparities” between his pay and the salaries of two black engineering professors.

The lawsuit said Lavell suffered “severe emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation and loss of self-esteem” as a result of the disparities. He filed a racial discrimination complaint with Camden County College officials, but his proposal to bring his salary in line with those of his non-white peers was rejected. College officials also declined to investigate Lavell's complaint, according to the lawsuit.

Also on rt.com University of Kentucky SEGREGATES resident assistants by race for ‘abhorrent’ mandatory white-shaming training

Lavell's 2020 salary was $91,923, while the two black professors cited as examples in the lawsuit made $137,157 and $142,600, respectively. The three long-time professors have similar qualifications and tenure, but the lawsuit said Lavell holds three professional degrees in his area of certification, while the two black professors hold two and one, respectively.

Camden County College hired Lavell in 1995. He has been a department chairman and was named dean of the division of math, science and health careers. Students gave him a 4.8 rating out of 5 on ratemyprofessors.com. All 42 students who rated him said they would choose to take a course with him again. Multiple students called him “the best professor I have ever had.”

The lawsuit didn't cite any salaries of other chemistry professors. Lavell lists three degrees on his LinkedIn profile, including a PhD in organic chemistry from Princeton University. He was an assistant professor at the US Naval Academy before joining Camden County College.

Also on rt.com Aristotle and Plato must go. After targeting statues, race activists now aim to topple the ancient founders of Western thought

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
26:12
0:00
29:12