
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, September 25, 1994                   TAG: 9409260046
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                                LENGTH: Short

LAWSUIT ACCUSES ODU OF GENDER BIAS IN SALARIES

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued the Old Dominion University Research Foundation, alleging that four female grants managers are paid less than a man for the same type of work.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Norfolk does not identify the pay rates or specify the amount of ``appropriate back pay'' that the EEOC is seeking for the employees. Bob E. Wolfson, executive director of the foundation, said the organization is negotiating an out-of-court settlement, though he denies wrongdoing. ``I would rather pay my employees than pay the same amount to lawyers to defend the claim,'' Wolfson said. ``We certainly think that our system had valid reasons other than sex to pay the male more,'' including the male worker's education and experience levels.

He said the EEOC began investigating the foundation after it received a reverse-discrimination complaint from a male employee. The EEOC failed to find evidence to substantiate the complaint but found what it considered discrimination against female workers.

- Associated Press

by CNB