Kent State University failed to shake off claims that it underpaid its former women’s field hockey coach in violation of Title VII and the Equal Pay Act.

Plaintiff Kathleen Wiler made a sufficient showing for a jury to find that the university paid at least one male coach more than her for equal work, in violation of the Equal Pay Act, Judge J. Philip Calabrese of the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ruled, denying the university’s motion for summary judgment.

Wiler’s Title VII claims also survive because a jury could find that the school’s reasons for paying some male coaches a higher salary—market rate and seniority—are a pretext for unlawful sex discrimination, Calabrese said.

The court, however, dismissed Wiler’s claim for post-resignation back pay or front pay because she failed to show that she was terminated or constructively discharged.

Wiler alleges, in her amended complaint filed Dec. 30, 2020, that she “was consistently amongst the most successful coaches at KSU in
guiding her teams to both athletic and academic success, despite which she was consistently paid less than male coaches, even those who were far less successful.”

Wiler, a five-time Mid-American Conference coach of the year, earned a base salary in 2016 of $74,465, totaling $85,496 with additional compensation, according to the complaint. The average...

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