White professor sues over being paid less than black professors at New Jersey College

This story from NJ.com reveals the fight for racial equality is taking new turns in at least one court battle. A white professor in New Jersey is suing his workplace over racial pay disparity.

His name is William T. Lavell and he teaches chemistry at Camden County College. After more than 25 years of teaching there, Lavell makes $91,923. The subject of racial controversy are two black engineering professors at the same school. Melvin Roberts has worked there for 31 years and brings home $137,157. Lawrence Chatman has 30 years experience and makes $142,606.

According to the lawsuit, Lavell wants more than $150,000 to compensate his person both financially and as personal relief to his self-esteem. He reportedly tried filing a complaint through proper channels to the college president Donald Borden, but Lavell’s proposal was denied.

What’s pointed out in the NJ.com piece is that white people have a higher burden of proof to clear. According to employment lawyer Jamison Mark: if it was a person of color or a female that’s the only barrier they have to prove. That they themselves were discriminated against. But since it’s a white guy in this case, Lavell has to prove that his employers show a pattern of discrimination against certain types of employees.

“The laws for discrimination are there for a reason. Whether you’re white, Black or brown, it doesn’t matter, you can’t be treated unfairly,” Mark said.

In Lavell’s case he purportedly went through the trouble of analyzing the pay disparity between himself and “non-Caucasian counterparts.”

Elsewhere in the United States the table is flipped. In one Chicago suburb they’ve rolled out a reparations program for descendants of anyone who lived in the city from 1919 to 1969. The Mayor of Rochester, New York recently announced her plans to fund reparations funds by using revenue from marijuana sales.