Joint Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions

Considering the Case of Perceived Discrimination: Using Federal Gender Discrimination Lawsuits

• In Event: Gender and Diversity

Abstract

Higher education institutions are on a continual quest to create more equitable and inclusive environments for those affected by historical or contemporary exclusion and marginalization from discrimination. In this study, we examine a sample of United States Federal Court cases involving gender discrimination between 2000-2020 to gain an understanding of the reality of perceived gender discrimination within higher education. More specifically, we examine the role of tenure and promotion as a potential source of perceived discrimination affecting the representation of female faculty within a specific discipline, accounting. The findings support an association between institutional practices and the percentage of female accounting professors in academe.

Authors

• Lydia N Didia, Jackson State University

• Renee Flasher, Penn State University - Harrisburg

• Michelle Lau, Brock University