Amy Heatherly claims she would have received at least $50,000 more as the HR director in the last five years if she were a man. She claims that she was aware she was getting paid less than three men who also were managers, but did not have as many years of experience.
Prior to her suit, Heatherly filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2014 after getting a raise that was half of what her male counterparts received.
"It did not have as much to do with the money but me feeling like I'm paid my worth, or at least paid equitably, like you're being respected and recognized for what you do," Heatherly said. She has worked for 19 years at the university.
The university counters that the pay differences are due to her position not being comparable to the male managers. The National Women's Law Center reports that white women in Alabama make 72 cents on the dollar of what white men make. Black women make 57 cents and Latinas earn 47 cents.