Opinion ID: 397448
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Claims based upon the Equal Pay Act.

Text: 32 The fourth count of the complaint alleges that the District denied females equal wages and retirement benefits in violation of the Equal Pay Act, 29 U.S.C. § 206(d). The claim under the Equal Pay Act was made against only the Board and the District. In the proceedings below the defendants claimed that state sovereign immunity barred any claim against the District under the Equal Pay Act. The district judge was clearly correct in dismissing this defense. See Mt. Healthy School District v. Doyle, 1977, 429 U.S. 274, 280, 97 S.Ct. 568, 572, 50 L.Ed.2d 471. 33 There are three key documents relating to this issue: (1) a declaration number 2, by Palches, to which are attached exhibits showing the salaries actually paid to administrators from the year 1973-74 to the year 1977-78 and the salary scale for 1977-78; (2) an exhibit to a declaration, by Padway, which shows salary scales for the years from 1973-74 to 1976-77, and gives some indication of individual salaries derived from these scales; (3) a declaration number 3, by Palches, which goes into some detail on the salary history of Padway and two other administrators. In their briefs neither party mentions this third document. It appears that it was not pointed out to the district court judge either. This was unfortunate. He managed to reach through arduous reasoning from indirect evidence the conclusions that it plainly and directly supports. This third document gives some indication of the negotiations that led to the initial contracts for the three administrators. It contains copies of the original contracts. It shows how their actual salaries were reached and why they are different. The three documents together present a clear and coherent explanation that is not controverted by any other evidence. 34 It is undisputed that Padway entered the system at step 2 on July 1, 1973, advanced one step each year until reaching step 6 and then remained at step 6. (The next step in the system is step 11 which is apparently reached after ten years service.) Padway also received $250.00 each year because she held a masters degree. The actual salary received by Padway is shown in Palches' declaration number 2. It fits the model outlined above to within a few dollars each year. (We have noticed a minor error in the computation made by the district court at this point.) In order to prevail under Title VII Padway would have to show either that her sex was a factor in causing her initial placement at step 2 or else that but for her sex she would have been paid more than was dictated by the salary schedule. 35 Palches' declaration number 2 states: No differential in pay is made on the basis of sex. To this conclusory statement we must add the details of declaration number 3. There Palches says that the Board initially offered Padway a position at step 1 because she was considered not to have any previous administrative experience but that in the final negotiations she managed to persuade the Board to offer step 2. 36 Padway complains that over the years she has been paid less than the two male administrators who were appointed at about the same time. The documents show that one of these was appointed at step 3 because of his previous experience and because he was considering other job prospects. The District decided to make him its best offer in order to persuade him to come. The other male was a middle school principal and his salary was calculated in a different manner entirely. Over the years the two men also received $500.00 each per annum as holders of doctorates and special loadings for special positions. 37 It is possible to argue in the abstract that the two individual men did better in their initial negotiations and were given better paying assignments because they were men. We do not doubt that such illegal and unfair things happen. However, the plaintiff in this case has not come forward with any evidence that this was so here. Summary judgment for the defendants on the claims arising from level of compensation was proper. 38 Conclusion. 39 We reverse the summary judgment on the first count, the Title VII claim based upon the reassignment and discharge, but find no possible monetary liability under that count against the individual defendants, and to that extent affirm the judgment in favor of the individual defendants on that count. 40 We reverse the judgment on the second count for declaratory judgments under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 based upon the reassignment and discharge. 41 We reverse the judgment on the third count for declaratory relief and damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3) as to the individual defendants and for declaratory relief as to the other defendants, although we doubt that this action will in the end succeed. We direct reinstatement of the pendent state claims under the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth counts, but express no opinion on the merits of any of those counts. In all other respects the summary judgment is affirmed, including specifically the judgment on the fourth and fifth counts. 42 We remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.