| Rajender v. University of Minnesota | |
| Court: | United States District Court for the District of Minnesota |
| Full Name: | Shyamala Rajender, et al. v. The University of Minnesota and the Regents of the University of Minnesota |
| Date Decided: | July 24, 1982 |
| Docket: | Civ. No. 4-73-435 |
| Citations: | 546 F. Supp. 158 |
| Judge: | Miles Lord |
| Subsequent Actions: | 563 F. Supp. 401 (D. Minn. 1983), judgment rev'd in part, vacated in part, 730 F.2d 1110 (8th Cir. 1984). |
Rajender v. University of Minnesota was a landmark class action lawsuit dealing with sexual discrimination at an American university.[1] The case was filed on September 5, 1973, by Shyamala Rajender, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Minnesota.[2] Rajender accused the university of engaging in employment discrimination on the basis of sex and national origin after she was turned down for a tenure-track position despite being recommended for the position by several university committees.[3] The suit was certified as a class action by the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota on February 13, 1978.[4] After eleven weeks of trial, the suit was settled in 1980 by a consent decree.[5] Rajender received $100,000 and Judge Miles Lord enjoined the university from discriminating against women on the basis of sex.[6] Rajender's attorneys were awarded approximately $2 million in fees.[7] The suit had a lasting impact on US colleges and universities.[8]