Former B-School Professor Sues Harvard for Discrimination

A former Business School professor, charging that she was denied tenure solely on the basis of gender, has brought suit in Federal court against the University and Dean of the Business School John H. McArthur.

Former Associate Professor of Industrial Marketing Barbara Bund Jackson, who was denied a permanent post at the school in 1983, has subsequently charged that male professors with qualifications comparable to her own have since been granted tenure.

In her suit, tiled in December 1984 Jackson also charges the University and McArthur of condoning sexual harassment of women students and faculty and setting quotas for the admission of women to the Master of Business Administration program.

Jackson, who taught at the Business School for 11 years be for leaving, his since assumed a post in industry.

"Only two women in the history of the Business School have been given tenure it's hard to believe that this could occur with a strictly merit based system," said Evan Lawson, Jackson's Jackson's lawyer for the case.

"We can factually substantiate all our allegations," added Lawson, who refused to cite specific evidence supporting the charges.

Second Grievance

Jackson's charges come in the wake of a successful sex discrimination grievance filed within the University in 1980 by Associate Professor of Sociology Theda Skocpol. After four yars of review. President Bok granted tenure to Skocpol in December of 1984.

"My client filed suit outside the University because she didn't want to sit around for four years," said Lawson adding that Jackson would have been a "beggar at Harvard's gate" had she followed Skocpol's route.

Although he said that the University "takes all these things seriously." Martin Michelson, a lawyer in the General Council's Office, said that Jackson's case "has little merit."

Jackson has said that she regrets having to sue Harvard, but she added that she feels an obligation to speak to help correct an institutional bias.

Numerous Delays

After numerous delays in filing suit at the state level. Jackson transfered her complaint to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which granted "the right to sue" last October.

"The case is supposed to go to trial by July 1, but I'm skeptical that the deadline will be met," said Lawson. He added that Harvard has delayed the process by refusing to provide him with a clear statement explaining why Jackson was denied tenure.

Jackson is seeking tenure punitive damages, and lawyers' fees from Harvard, Lawson said.