Jury awards $3 million to UT engineering professor in pregnancy, sex discrimination suit

A jury has awarded more than $3 million to a University of Texas engineering professor who argued that the university discriminated against her based on her sex and pregnancy.

Evdokia Nikolova, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in September 2019 alleging that UT denied her tenure because of her gender and pregnancy and violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex-based discrimination.

On Friday, after a trial, the jury found that UT had engaged in unlawful discrimination and awarded Nikolova $1 million in damages for past pain and suffering, $2 million for future pain and suffering, and $50,000 in back pay and benefits.

Bob Schmidt, Nikolova’s lawyer, said the jury felt that UT's decision to deny Nikolova tenure has caused "incredible" pain and damage to her career and reputation. He said the verdict helps show that discrimination against women in STEM still exists, and it shouldn't go unchecked.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/03/15/texas-professor-pregnancy-lawsuit-discrimination-million-evdokia-nikolova/7036822001/