A White professor at Tuskegee University, a historically Black institution in Alabama, has filed a federal lawsuit against the school for age and racial discrimination.
Physics professor Marshall Burns, 73, claims that despite a tenure that spans four decades, he’s been denied the salary he deserves. His July 26 lawsuit alleges that younger employees at the university are paid at least $18,000 to $30,000 more than him.
Burns claims he earns $60,500 a year, despite requesting a raise at least 12 times.
Court documents state that Burns began his career at Tuskegee University in 1976 as an assistant professor and that he was in 1980 to a full-time post.
While teaching at Tuskegee, Burns wrote a physics textbook recognized by the state legislature, helped found the university’s first physics major and lobbied for additional university funding.