Question

2. Martha is the coach of the female basketball team and Aaron is the coach of the male basketball team at State University. Both Martha and Aaron have comparable knowledge of basketball, both have comparable skills, both work comparable hours and both have comparable win-loss records. The male team is a revenue-generating sport, producing $3,000,000 annually. The female team does not produce substantial revenues. Martha is $55,000 per year for her job, but Aaron is paid $200,000 for his. Martha sued State University for a violation of the Equal Pay Act. What result and why?

Answer 1

: Martha initially appears to have a fairly strong claim because the jobs are so similar.

The University could defend the difference in pay on the grounds that the male coach's job is more difficult if there is greater competition in men's basketball or because of the additional responsibilities that come with keeping large numbers of paying fans satisfied.

Additionally, the University could argue the generation of revenue is an aspect of performance quality that it can reward with higher pay.