Tenure Denied: Cases of Sex Discrimination in Academia (2004) is a qualitative research report based on the Legal Advocacy Fund’s archive of sex discrimination cases. Drawing on 19 cases, the report describes the difficulty of pinpointing and proving sex discrimination in the tenure promotion process. The report makes no attempt to second-guess the courts’ decisions in these cases but rather poses some hard questions raised by these cases: How can women — and other underrepresented faculty — break into highly centralized power systems where standards are self-referential and tightly controlled by a conventional “old boys’” network? What can universities learn about their systems and practices of hiring and promotion? And what is the message for policy-makers considering new programs to end sex discrimination in academia and other places of employment?

The final chapter presents recommendations for universities and female faculty, with the overarching aim of preventing the need for sex discrimination suits in the first place.

Report Overview

Full Report

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