Dr. Lauren Pinter-Brown v. Regents of the University of California

Dr. Lauren Pinter-Brown v. Regents of the University of California, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Case No. BC624838, was a case in which the jury awarded a $13 million verdict against the University of California in a sex discrimination and retaliation case.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

The jury found that UCLA discriminated against Pinter-Brown based on her gender and retaliated against her.[7] The $13 million verdict was delivered in Judge Michael Linfield's courtroom on February 15, 2018, after approximately 14 days of trial.[7] The jury found that Pinter-Brown deserved $3 million in lost earnings and $10 million in damages for emotional distress.[7]

Dr. Lauren Pinter-Brown started working at UCLA's medical center as the director of its lymphoma program in 2005.[7] She received excellent peer reviews and awards throughout her tenure.[7] Pinter-Brown began raising concerns about being harassed by a male colleague but was subsequently targeted in audits. She later had her research privileges suspended and her title damaged.[7]

According to court documents, UCLA made no significant efforts to fix the problem filing verbal and written complaints.[7] Pinter-Brown was forced to “play dead” at work to avoid additional conflicts. She eventually resigned from her position in 2015.[7]

At trial, UCLA argued that Pinter-Brown mischaracterized the harassment, and contended the alleged conduct were her not getting along with the alleged harasser.[7] UCLA further asserted that it properly handled her reports of harassment through the internal grievance process.[7]

The California Court of Appeal’s Second Appellate District reversed the lower court's decision in April 2020.[8]