By Steph Weber

A California jury has awarded $14 million to a former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) oncologist who claimed she was paid thousands less than her male colleagues and constructively terminated after her complaints of gender-based harassment and intimidation were ignored by program leadership.

The decision comes after a lengthy 8-year legal battle in which an appellate judge reversed a previous jury decision in her favor.

Lauren Pinter-Brown, MD, a hematologic oncologist, was hired in 2005 by the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine — now called UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. As the school's lymphoma program director, she conducted clinical research alongside other oncology doctors, including Sven de Vos, MD.

She claimed that her professional relationship with de Vos became contentious after he demonstrated "oppositional" and "disrespectful" behavior at team meetings, such as talking over her and turning his chair so Pinter-Brown faced his back. Court documents indicated that de Vos refused to use Pinter-Brown's title in front of colleagues despite doing so for male counterparts.

Pinter-Brown argued that she was treated as the "butt of a joke" by de Vos and other male colleagues. In 2016, she sued de Vos, the university, and its governing body, the Board of Regents, for constructive termination.

She was awarded a $13 million verdict in 2018. However, the California Court of Appeals overturned it in 2020 after concluding that several mistakes during the court proceedings impeded the school's right to a fair and impartial trial. The case was retried, culminating in the even higher award of $14 million issued on May 9.

"Two juries have come to virtually identical findings showing multiple problems at UCLA involving gender discrimination," said Pinter-Brown's attorney Carney R. Shegerian, JD.

A spokesperson from UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine said administrators are carefully reviewing the new decision.

The spokesperson said that the medical school and its health system remain "deeply committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination, intimidation, retaliation, or harassment of any kind" and fostering a "respectful and inclusive environment…in research, medical education, and patient care."

Gender Pay Disparities Persist in Medicine

The gender pay gap in medicine is well documented. The 2024 Physician Compensation Report found that male doctors earn about 29% more than their female counterparts, with the disparity growing larger among specialists. In addition, a recent study found that male physicians earned 21%-24% more per hour than female physicians.

Pinter-Brown, who now works at the University of California, Irvine, alleged that she was paid $200,000 less annually, on average, than her male colleagues.

That's not surprising, says Martha Gulati, MD, professor and director of preventive cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute, Los Angeles. She co-authored a commentary about gender disparities. Gulati said that even a "small" pay disparity of $100,000 annually adds up.

"Let's say the [male physician] invests it at 3% and adds to it yearly. Even without a raise, in 20 years, that is approximately $3 million," Gulati explained. "Once you find out you are paid less than your male colleagues, you are upset. Your sense of value and self-worth disappears."

Eileen Barrett, MD, MPH, president-elect of the American Medical Women's Association, said that gender discrimination is likely more prevalent than research indicates. She said that self-doubt and fear of retaliation keep many from exposing the mistreatment.

Although more women are entering medicine, too few rise to the highest positions, Barrett said.

"Unfortunately, many are pulled and pushed into specialties and subspecialties that have lower compensation and are not promoted to leadership, so just having numbers isn't enough to achieve equity," Barrett said.

Pinter-Brown claimed she was repeatedly harassed and intimidated by de Vos from 2008 to 2015. Despite voicing concerns multiple times about the discriminatory behavior, the only resolutions offered by the male-dominated program leadership were for her to separate from the group and conduct lymphoma research independently or to avoid interacting with de Vos, court records said.

Even the school's male Title IX officer Jan Tillisch, MD, who handled gender-based discrimination complaints, reportedly made sexist comments. When Pinter-Brown sought his help, he allegedly told her that she had a reputation as an "angry woman" and "diva," court records showed.

According to court documents, Pinter-Brown endured nitpicking and research audits as retaliation for speaking out, temporarily suspending her research privileges. She said she was subsequently removed from the director position and replaced by de Vos.

Female physicians who report discriminatory behavior often have unfavorable outcomes and risk future career prospects, Gulati said.

To shift this dynamic, she said institutions must increase transparency and practices that support women doctors receiving "equal pay for equal work."