A VA doctor's lawsuit claims delayed salary reviews and pay gaps—HR leaders take note of the court's latest move
A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctor’s pay discrimination lawsuit is challenging federal HR compensation practices after a pivotal court ruling on October 28, 2025.
Dr. Rebecca Metzinger, chief of ophthalmology at the New Orleans Veterans Medical Center since 2008, alleges she was paid less than her male subordinates and denied regular salary reviews. In her Equal Pay Act lawsuit against the United States, Metzinger claims the VA failed to provide her with the market pay adjustments that were given to male colleagues.
According to the complaint, Metzinger discovered in May 2017 that some of her male subordinates were earning higher salaries, despite her position as chief. She also learned that, during her nearly ten years at the VA, she should have received market pay panel reviews every other year—five times in total—but did not. Metzinger alleges that the VA routinely convened market pay panels and awarded increases to her male subordinates during this period.
In June 2017, Metzinger filed a sex discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and reported harassment by a male supervisor. Around August 2017, she received her first market pay panel, which increased her salary from $260,599 to $300,000, retroactive to June 26, 2016. Due to a payroll error, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service initially entered her updated...
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