In a resounding rebuke of pay inequity, a federal jury in Pennsylvania awarded $165,000 in damages Thursday to two female teachers who claimed the Central Bucks School District shortchanged them compared to male colleagues with similar experience and duties.
After a four-day trial, jurors handed $81,000 to Rebecca Cartee-Haring and $84,000 to Dawn Marinello, marking a major win in a drawn-out legal saga that began in 2020. The teachers accused the district of violating the Equal Pay Act by crediting male educators with more years of experience, resulting in higher salaries.
A Retrial Brings Justice After a Hung Jury
This verdict comes on the heels of a mistrial declared in July, when a previous jury couldn’t reach a consensus. Initially filed as a collective action, the case was decertified in August, leaving Cartee-Haring and Marinello to forge ahead solo.
Their lawsuit claimed systemic flaws in how the district calculated years of service — an approach they argued led to men being unfairly elevated on the pay scale.
