EEOC Sues UTMB for Pay Discrimination

HOUSTON — The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), a university health system in Galveston, Texas, violated federal law when it paid a female employee lower wages than it paid her male counterpart for performing substantially equal work because of the female worker’s sex, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, from October 2023 until about January 2026, UTMB paid a female solutions architect less than a male employee holding the same position. The woman performed equal work in a job requiring substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which was performed under similar working conditions in the same facility. The EEOC also charged that UTMB continued to pay the male solutions architect a higher salary even after the woman obtained a master’s degree in a related field which fell under the preferred qualifications for the job, and after UTMB conducted a salary review.

“The EEOC remains fully committed to ensuring that sex is not factored into compensation,” said Jeremy Crosbie, deputy director for the EEOC’s Houston District. “The Equal Pay Act ensures that employees receive equal pay for equal work, and we will enforce the statute.”

Such alleged conduct violates the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits discrimination in compensation based on sex. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. The University of Texas Medical Branch, Civil Action No. 3:26-cv-00206) in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

EEOC Trial Attorney Claudia Molina said, “Enforcement of equal pay laws remains a priority for the EEOC. 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 EEOC is seeking back pay and liquidated damages for the female employee. In addition, the EEOC is seeking the elimination of pay disparity and other permanent injunctive relief to correct and prevent future pay discrimination by UTMB. The EEOC is also seeking an order requiring UTMB to institute and carry out policies, practices and programs which govern the payment of equal pay for substantially equal work regardless of sex, and which eradicate the effects of UTMB’s discriminatory employment practices.

For more information about equal pay and compensation, see: https://www.eeoc.gov/equal-paycompensation-discrimination

The EEOC’s Houston District Office has jurisdiction over Louisiana and the following counties in Texas: Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Lavaca, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Washington and Wharton.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.