History Professor Sues University of Pennsylvania for Gender Discrimination

Kristen S. Childers, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania from 2002-2010, is suing Penn for gender discrimination, saying she was unlawfully denied tenure because she took leave for childcare, even though it had been approved.

Childers believes this is a clear case of discrimination against women with caregiving responsibilities.

"This isn't just a tenure dispute. I had the expressed support of my department, the tenure committee, the School of Arts and Sciences Personnel Committee, and external evaluators. My qualifications were as good as, if not better than, other faculty members who were awarded tenure," Childers said.

She continued, "I have been discriminated against as a mother, despite the fact that my family responsibilities had no negative impact on my teaching performance, scholarly productivity or service to the University."

According to the facts of the case, while Childers' promotion was supported by each committee vote along the way, the Provost denied her tenure in May 2010 and her employment was terminated as a result. The decision to go against the other reviewers is extremely rare, yet the Provost offered no explanation for the outcome.