MOORHEAD, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi community college will pay a counselor $75,000 to settle a race discrimination lawsuit.
The federal government both sued and settled with Mississippi Delta Community College on Monday on behalf of Pamela Venton.
The college hired Venton as a counselor at its Greenville campus in 2006. The lawsuit says Venton discovered through a 2012 public record request that she was paid less than two other full-time counselors and little more than two half-time counselors. Venton is black and the other counselors were all white.
After meetings with college leaders, the college increased Venton’s salary from $40,000 to $51,000, but refused her request for back pay.
Tuesday’s settlement provides $30,000 in back pay and $45,000 in compensatory damages.
The college agrees to train people to identify and correct wage discrimination.
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