HISD paid women employees fewer than men working in district, violating Equal Pay Act, EEOC claims

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Houston ISD on Tuesday, claiming the school system allegedly paid lower wages to female employees than male employees.

Furthermore, the EEOC claims HISD violated the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which forbids sex-based pay discrimination.

Since February 2019, female senior Career & Technical Education program specialists have been paid less than males for substantially equal work, according to the EEOC.

The EEOC also claimed that HISD restricted female employees' ability to qualify for a higher starting wage based on their prior employment experience. This led to men being paid more than women with equal, if not greater, relevant expertise.

"The EEOC is fully and absolutely committed to ensuring that gender is not factored into compensation and that employees receive equal pay for equal work," EEOC District Director Rayford Irvin said.

HISD has declined to comment further pending the investigation's conclusion.