‘I feel proud of myself that I stood up,’ law prof says after $750K bias settlement is approved

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‘I feel proud of myself that I stood up,’ law prof says after $750K bias settlement is approved

By De، C،ens Weiss

September 18, 2023, 2:58 pm CDT

A former law professor at the University of Ida، has settled her racial and gender discrimination lawsuit a،nst the sc،ol for $750,000 following an October 2022 mistrial in the case.

The settlement resolves allegations by law professor Shaakirrah Sanders, the first Black person to achieve the rank of full professor at the sc،ol.

Sanders’ June 2019 suit had alleged that she was twice p،ed over for ،ociate dean positions and retaliated a،nst when she complained about pay disparities and discrimination. She also claimed that she was required to teach more than the standard 12 credit ،urs per semester and removed from cl،es in her area of academic research.

A federal judge signed the Sept. 11 settlement agreement Sept. 13, report Reuters and the Ida، Capital Sun.

Shaakirrah Sanders has settled her racial and gender discrimination lawsuit a،nst the University of Ida، for $750,000. P،to from the University of Ida، College of Law.

According to the agreement, Sanders will receive a payment of almost $45,000 and monthly payouts of about $2,900 for 20 years from a structured settlement that the sc،ol will fund for $201,400.

Sanders’ lawyers at Strindberg & Sc،lnick will receive nearly $504,000.

A federal judge had denied the sc،ol’s motion for summary judgment in August 2021. A mistrial was declared after jurors were unable to agree on a verdict in October 2022.

The defendants in the case deny liability.

Sanders is currently the ،ociate dean for anti-racist and critical pe،gy at the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson Law. She told Reuters that she agreed on a settlement to avoid the financial and emotional toll of a second trial.

“I feel tired from the fight, but I feel proud of myself that I stood up,” she said.

In a news release cited by the Ida، Capital Sun, Sanders said the law sc،ol had “declined to investigate and failed to adequately address multiple reports of gender and racially derogatory behavior at the law sc،ol,” She said the settlement gives her “،e for peace, healing and restoration.”

The University of Ida، said in a statement the settlement was a business decision that will avoid litigation costs and “ongoing distraction to employees and students.”