Finally, Equal Pay
On March 18, 1983, federal judge Lee P. Gagliardi ruled that CUNY had discriminated unlawfully against women on its teaching staff for 15 years by paying them less than men in equivalent positions. As reported by The New York Times, the landmark class-action suit was known as “the Melani case” because the first plaintiff listed on court documents was Lilia Melani, an Assistant Professor of English at Brooklyn College.
36 years later, Professor Lilia Melani discusses the history and legacy of the lawsuit, brought by the CUNY Women’s Coalition, with Queensborough Community College Art and Design Chairperson, Dr. Kathleen Wentrack.
The interview -- hosted by the Office of the President, the Office of Academic Affairs, the Faculty Diversity Committee, and the Office of Diversity -- was recorded on November 13, 2019 in Bayside, New York, at the College’s Oakland Dining Room.
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Contact:
Michael Donahue or Alice Doyle
