A female professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, claims she was underpaid by nearly $3 million while a less-experienced male colleague earned significantly more.
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colleague → claim → more
Edwina Barvosa, a Harvard-educated professor of applied social and political theory, who has taught at UCSB since 1998, alleged she was paid tens of thousands of dollars less than a male colleague hired eight years after her.
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she → educate → her
The claims which identify her male counterpart by pseudonym 'Professor Y', are outlined in a lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in June.
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which → identify → June
In 2023, Professor Y received total compensation of $232,050 yet Barvosa earned just $150,317.
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Barvosa → receive → 150,317
The following year, the gap widened to $94,700.
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gap → widen → 94,700
He took home $251,700, compared with her $157,000.
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He → take → 157,000
Barvosa claims she was underpaid by at least $991,478 in base salary and with interest, that figure rises to approximately $2.96 million, according to the lawsuit.
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figure → claim → lawsuit
Her lawyers argue the long-term financial impact could be even more drastic, estimating her losses could exceed $30 million when future pension losses are compounded over the next 39 years.
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losses → argue → years
The lawsuit claims the two professors share similar backgrounds.
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professors → claim → backgrounds
Both grew up in working-class families and are of Mexican American heritage.
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Both → grow → heritage
Edwina Barvosa, a professor of social and political theory in UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Feminist Studies, has filed a lawsuit against the University of California Regents for alleged gender-based discrimination and unequal pay
The initial lawsuit was filed in June 2026 against the UC Regents and multiple named defendants, including UC President James B Milliken and Chancellor Dennis Assanis, as well as unidentified defendants
However, Barvosa later filed an amended complaint against only the UC Regents and unidentified defendants on August 31
However, Barvosa alleges she has approximately a decade more experience under her belt than that of her male colleague.
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she → file → colleague
'Dr Barvosa has suffered and continues to suffer extensive harm as a result of defendants’ unlawful employment practices, the complaint alleges.
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complaint → suffer → practices
It cites financial and professional losses, emotional distress and serious physical injuries.
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It → cite → losses
Barvosa’s lawsuit names the University of California Board of Regents, UC President James Milliken, UCSB Chancellor Dennis Assanis, Executive Dean Pierre Wiltzius and Social Sciences Dean Charles Hale.
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lawsuit → name → Regents
She accuses them of violating California’s Equal Pay Act, as well as discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
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She → accuse → distress
The professor is seeking back pay, damages and punitive damages.
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professor → seek → pay
She also wants a court order preventing the university from claiming ownership of her scholarly work.
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She → want → work
When Barvosa raised the alleged pay gap with the executive dean of the College of Letters and Science, he acknowledged she was underpaid but said there was little he could do, according to the complaint.
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he → raise → complaint
The lawsuit claims he then refused to approve even a $200 raise or promote her to full professor.
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he → claim → professor
Barvosa claimed she was underpaid at least $991,478 in base salary, or about $2.96 million with interest.
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she → claim → interest
Her lawyers argued the total hit exceeds $30 million once her pension losses are compounded over the next 39 years
He allegedly argued that her book had not been fully accepted by Cambridge University Press and that she had not spent four years at her current career step.
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she → argue → step
But Barvosa’s lawyers claim the same dean had approved Professor Y’s promotion six to 12 months earlier, despite his book also being unfinished.
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book → claim → promotion
The complaint describes the alleged double standard as gender discrimination.
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complaint → describe → discrimination
Barvosa reportedly raised her concerns in writing in December 2020.
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Barvosa → raise → December
On June 14, 2021, she claims she received an unjustified reprimand and was passed over for a prestigious endowed chair.
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she → claim → chair
The position allegedly went to Professor Y.
The lawsuit also describes a hostile workplace.
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lawsuit → go → workplace
An associate dean allegedly 'aggressively lunged across the faculty meeting table' while pressuring Barvosa to vote for a salary increase for the dean.
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dean → lunge → dean
The university’s research office also allegedly blocked a discrimination study she was conducting with the University of Texas, accusing her of plagiarism.
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she → block → plagiarism
Her sabbatical was reportedly delayed over a research report she had submitted years earlier.
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she → delay → report
The complaint further alleges tensions between white and minority faculty members.
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complaint → allege → members
It describes one professor who insisted on the right to routinely use the N-word despite complaints from graduate students.
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who → describe → students
Barvosa claims the dispute took a serious toll on her health.
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dispute → claim → health
She alleges she suffered a partial finger loss and a permanent knee injury.
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she → allege → loss
She also claims years of workplace stress contributed to a heart attack on December 9, 2024, despite having no other risk factors.
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years → claim → factors
Her department reportedly voted unanimously, 9-0, to advance her this year.
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department → vote → her
However, the university’s top personnel committee allegedly recommended no salary increase.
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committee → recommend → increase
The lawsuit comes as UCSB faces scrutiny over a separate discrimination controversy involving its Alpha Phi sorority chapter.
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UCSB → come → chapter
Members accused a volunteer recruitment adviser from the sorority’s national organization of sidelining women of color during autumn recruitment.
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Members → accuse → recruitment
They alleged that a diverse group of prospective recruits disappeared from the candidate pool, while current sisters of color were left off recruitment schedules.
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sisters → allege → schedules
The adviser was subsequently removed.
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adviser → remove → ?
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
