Did Central Bucks underpay women teachers? Jury may decide Tuesday in potential $200M case

A Philadelphia jury could decide Tuesday on the collective action lawsuit against Central Bucks School District by hundreds of female teachers alleging they were paid less than male colleagues with similar experience and education, a violation of the federal Equal Pay Act.

An attorney representing the female teachers says if his clients prevail, it could cost Central Bucks School District taxpayers more than $200 million.

What does the CBSD Equal Pay Act lawsuit allege?

More than 300 women who have taught in the district between 2000 and 2023 are a part of the collective action lawsuit that alleges the district gave female teachers less credit for prior years of experience in determining their salaries than it did for male teachers, resulting in a pay disparity, a violation of the Equal Pay Act.

CBSD teacher Dawn Marinello sued the district in 2021 under the Equal Pay Act, and the court approved her case as a collective action in 2022, allowing other female teachers to join it.

Marinello's suit followed one filed by CBSD teacher Rebecca Cartee-Haring in 2020 that also alleges she was subjected to other forms of discrimination. Cartee-Haring is not part of the Marinello suit and her case will be decided separately from the Marinello one.

Both trials took place simultaneously starting July 23, but the jury will be instructed to render separate verdicts.

What is at stake with the CBSD Equal Pay Act lawsuit for taxpayers?

Attorney Ed Mazurek, who represents the Cartee-Haring and Marinello cases, previously told this news organization that the judge had urged the parties in the collective action to settle.

The district's lawyer Michael Levin has pointed out that the judge nearly always asks parties to settle, and that it wasn't an indication of the merits of the case. The district has maintained that female teachers were not discriminated against.

The parties held court-ordered settlement conferences to attempt to avoid a trial, which began on July 23. The district rejected an offer Mazurek made last year to settle for $119 million.

If the jury rules in favor of the teachers, the district may be responsible for back pay, damages, lost pension benefits, and for those who still work in the district, salary adjustments.

How much could the Marinello case cost Central Bucks School District?

If the plaintiffs prevail, the back pay alone may reach over $50 million, and if the district is found to have violated the Equal Pay Act, the plaintiffs will be allowed to demand double that amount, Mazurek has said.

The total could exceed $200 million, according to Mazurek, not including the future cost of adjusting the teachers' current salaries. The district's current annual budget is about $400 million.

Board director Karen Smith has told this news organization that the burden would fall wholly on taxpayers; the district's liability insurance covers their legal fees, but not a payout.

Levin has said that a win for the teachers would raise taxes by $3,500 for the average homeowner.

More: $119M settlement rejected as 'irresponsible' in Central Bucks equal pay lawsuit. Now what?

Reporter Jess Rohan can be reached at jrohan@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Did Central Bucks underpay women teachers? Jury may decide Tuesday in potential $200M case