UC Santa Barbara Professor Sues University for $3 Million Over Alleged Gender Pay Disparity

A professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has filed a lawsuit alleging that the university underpaid her by nearly $3 million, promoted a less experienced male colleague, and retaliated against her for raising concerns about gender pay discrimination.

Edwina Barvosa, a professor of applied social and political theory who has taught at UCSB since 1998, claims in the suit filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court that she was paid significantly less than a male colleague, identified only as "Professor Y," who was hired eight years after her.

According to the lawsuit, first reported by The Daily Nexus, Professor Y earned $232,050 in total pay in 2023, while Barvosa received $150,317. The gap widened in 2024, with him earning $251,700 and her $157,000.

Barvosa's legal team asserts that she was underpaid by at least $991,478 in base salary, which, with interest, amounts to approximately $2.96 million. The suit further claims that compounded pension losses over the next 39 years could push the total financial damage to over $30 million.

The complaint highlights that both Barvosa and Professor Y come from similar working-class backgrounds and are of Mexican American heritage. However, Barvosa alleges she possesses about a decade more experience.

"Dr. Barvosa has suffered and continues to suffer extensive harm as a result of defendants’ unlawful employment practices, including, but not limited to, extensive professional, financial, and non-economic damages, as well as physical injuries that have now led to life-threatening illnesses and related emotional harm," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit names the UC Regents, UC President James Milliken, UCSB Chancellor Dennis Assanis, Executive Dean Pierre Wiltzius, and Social Sciences Dean Charles Hale as defendants. It alleges violations of California’s Equal Pay Act, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Barvosa is seeking back pay, damages, punitive damages, and a court order preventing the university from claiming ownership of her scholarly work. The lawsuit details instances of alleged unfair treatment, including a claim that an executive dean admitted knowing Barvosa was underpaid but stated he could not rectify the situation. The suit also alleges that this same dean denied her a promotion and a raise despite her qualifications.

According to the suit, the dean approved Professor Y's promotion six to 12 months prior, even though his book was not yet finished. Barvosa's own book, however, had not been fully accepted by Cambridge University Press at the time, and she had not yet met the required four-year tenure at her current academic step.

The complaint characterizes this disparity as "nothing more than… gender discrimination." Barvosa reportedly lodged a written complaint about the pay gap in December 2020. On June 14, 2021, she claims to have received a baseless reprimand, and on the same day, she was overlooked for a prestigious endowed chair that was awarded to Professor Y.

The lawsuit describes a hostile work environment, citing an incident where an associate dean allegedly "aggressively lunged across the faculty meeting table" to pressure Barvosa into supporting his salary increase. It also states that the school's research office obstructed her STEM discrimination study with the University of Texas by falsely accusing her of plagiarism, and that her sabbatical was delayed over a research report she had submitted years earlier.

Barvosa also alleges that her department was characterized by tension between white and minority faculty, citing an instance where a professor insisted on his right to use the "n-word" slur despite complaints from graduate students.

Despite her department voting 9-0 to recommend her advancement this year, the school's top personnel committee reportedly recommended no raise for her. The suit claims Barvosa suffered physical injuries, including the loss of part of a finger and a permanent knee injury, attributing a heart attack on December 9, 2024, to years of workplace stress, despite having no other known risk factors.

This lawsuit comes amid a separate controversy at UCSB involving the Alpha Phi sorority chapter, where members accused a volunteer recruitment adviser of excluding women of color from the recruitment process. The university stated that it reviews discrimination reports through its Office of Discrimination and Harassment Prevention.

UC Santa Barbara declined to comment on the lawsuit. The UC Regents did not respond to requests for comment.