Edwina Barvosa, a UC Santa Barbara professor, has filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, unequal pay and blocked promotions. (Photo: UCSB)
Barvosa, who has worked at UCSB since 1998, alleges that university administrators subjected her to discriminatory treatment, obstructed her academic advancement, denied her fair compensation and retaliated against her after she raised concerns about workplace practices. The lawsuit was initially filed in June 2026 against the UC Regents, UC President James B, according to The Daily Nexus. An amended complaint filed on August 31 named the UC Regents and unidentified defendants. As detailed by The Daily Nexus, Professor Y joined UCSB in 2006, eight years after Barvosa, according to the complaint. Despite what the complaint describes as similarities in their academic backgrounds and responsibilities, Barvosa alleges that she received approximately $2,957,526 less than Professor Y in base salary over the years they both worked at the university. In October 2018, she submitted a written complaint to Laury Oaks, then chair of the Department of Feminist Studies. She continued to raise concerns between 2020 and 2022 through written complaints and verbal communications with university administrators. In April 2021, she applied for the MacArthur Foundation UC Endowed Chair position, an academic appointment that the lawsuit describes as a significant career opportunity. The university denied her application in June 2021 and offered the position to Professor Y instead, according to the complaint. The complaint also describes an incident in June 2023, when UCSB’s Office of Research allegedly withheld approval for her participation in a research position at the University of Texas. The lawsuit also addresses Barvosa’s 2025-26 merit review, during which she alleges she was denied a promotion and salary increase despite receiving unanimous support from her department. The Department of Feminist Studies voted 9-0 in favour of advancing her from Professor IV to Professor V and recommended a corresponding salary increase, according to the complaint.
Edwina Barvosa, a professor of social and political theory in the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Department of Feminist Studies, has filed a lawsuit against the University of California Regents over alleged gender-based discrimination and unequal pay, The Daily Nexus reported. The complaint outlines several instances in which Barvosa allegedly reported concerns about compensation, promotion and personnel review procedures to university administrators. As reported by The Daily Nexus, the case centres on Barvosa’s allegations that UCSB subjected her to unequal compensation and career advancement practices and retaliated against her for reporting what she believed were discriminatory practices.
Barvosa approached the executive dean of UCSB’s College of Letters and Science to raise concerns about the alleged pay disparity, according to the lawsuit. Barvosa raised concerns about inconsistent standards in compensation and promotion reviews, alleging that the practices disproportionately affected underrepresented minority faculty members, according to the lawsuit. She is also affiliated with UCSB’s Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies and Department of Political Science. Milliken, Chancellor Dennis Assanis and other defendants. The allegations have not been established in court. UCSB media spokesperson Kiki Reyes declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. One of the central claims in Barvosa’s lawsuit concerns her compensation compared with that of a male faculty member identified in the complaint as “Professor Y. The lawsuit states that Barvosa had approximately a decade more work experience than her male colleague. The complaint also alleges that Professor Y was promoted more rapidly and was not held to the same career advancement standards as Barvosa and other female faculty members. It further disputes the relative assessment of their academic publications. The complaint claims the dean acknowledged that she was underpaid but subsequently denied her a raise and promotion to full professor, citing academic requirements. Barvosa alleges that, rather than addressing her concerns, UCSB administrators retaliated against her by assigning her what the complaint describes as punitive amounts of bureaucratic work and obstructing her academic research. The lawsuit argues that the alleged actions affected both her professional opportunities and her ability to advance her academic career. Barvosa’s complaint also details two incidents involving research and career advancement. Barvosa alleges that she was equally or more qualified for the appointment than her male colleague. The university reportedly cited alleged plagiarism in her research proposal. Barvosa disputes the accusation, describing it as baseless in the lawsuit, and claims that it damaged her professional reputation. These incidents form part of her broader allegations that university administrators obstructed her academic opportunities after she raised concerns about discrimination. However, the Academic Senate Committee on Academic Personnel recommended neither advancement nor a raise, citing alleged deficiencies in research and teaching.
The complaint states that she suffered a stress-induced heart attack in December 2024, which she attributes to the strain of what she describes as unequal working conditions. Barvosa is seeking compensation for lost wages, employment benefits, emotional distress and other damages. The lawsuit further claims that the alleged treatment was part of a broader pattern of discrimination against women within the University of California system and at UCSB. Barvosa claims the conflicting recommendations reflect inconsistent standards in the university’s merit-review process. The lawsuit seeks to challenge what Barvosa describes as unequal treatment in the evaluation of her academic work and career progression. In addition to alleging financial and professional losses, Barvosa claims that her treatment at UCSB caused significant physical and emotional harm. These claims form part of her request for damages related to the alleged discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Her amended complaint outlines five causes of action, including alleged violations of California’s Equal Pay Act, discrimination, harassment and whistleblower retaliation.
Barvosa alleges that Professor Y had previously received a promotion despite not meeting the same standards. She also alleges that the decision was influenced by individuals who had previously shown hostility towards her complaints.
UCSB spokesperson Kiki Reyes declined to comment on the allegations, citing the pending litigation. The claims remain allegations in a lawsuit, and the case’s outcome will depend on the legal proceedings. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.