The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) for allegedly paying a female worker less than her male counterpart.
The federal lawsuit, filed Friday, accuses UTMB of discriminating against a female worker by allegedly paying her less than a male employee holding the same position. The lawsuit claims UTMB violated the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits compensation discrimination based on sex.
"The EEOC remains fully committed to ensuring that sex is not factored into compensation," Jeremy Crosbie, deputy director for the EEOC's Houston district, said in a statement. "The Equal Pay Act ensures that employees receive equal pay for equal work, and we will enforce the statute."
UTMB declined to comment.
According to the lawsuit, Maria Alza's salary was approximately $12,000 less than her male counterpart, Henry Dominguez, despite both having similar experience and the same job title. The lawsuit also claims that Alza held the preferred degree for the job position while Dominguez allegedly did not.
In October 2023, Alza was promoted to solutions architect and Dominguez was hired for the same position, according to the lawsuit.
The commission claims the discrimination began in 2023. In 2024, Alza allegedly told her supervisor about the salary discrepancy, but UTMB declined to increase her salary after a "compensation review," according to the lawsuit.
"Enforcement of equal pay laws remains a priority for the [commission]," Claudia Molina, a trial lawyer for the commission, said in a statement. "We will continue to advocate for compliance with the Equal Pay Act to ensure that employees are paid equally when they perform substantially equal work."
The commission said it is seeking back pay and liquidated damages for Alza and "the elimination of pay disparity and other permanent injunctive relief to correct and prevent future pay discrimination by UTMB."
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