Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health acknowledged that a female clinical psychologist at Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine, was paid less than male colleagues, but it said her pay was not based on gender, according to the Bangor Daily News.
Clare Mundell, PhD, sued the health system Jan. 5 in the U.S. District Court in Bangor.
In her lawsuit, Dr. Mundell alleges unequal pay, sex discrimination and retaliation, and seeks unspecified damages. Northern Light denies the allegations.
Dr. Mundell began working at the hospital in November 2017, as a pool psychologist. She says she earned $50 an hour, while two of her male colleagues earned $90 and $95 per hour. Two other female pool psychologists earned $50 an hour and the salary equivalent of $48.82 an hour, the complaint alleges.
In Northern Light's response, filed March 8, the health system confirmed Dr. Mundell's starting pay was $50. The health system said hourly pay for all pool psychologists was set at $57 per hour after Dr. Mundell complained about the issue in 2019 and hospital leaders conducted an equity pay analysis in January 2020. The pay change was deferred for male psychologists for three months to "ease their transition" to the $57, Northern Light confirmed, according to Bangor Daily News.
The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Mundell asked Acadia Hospital President Scott Oxley for back pay to make up for the previous pay discrepancy, and Mr. Oxley offered her a one-time "appreciation" bonus of $5,000 in February 2020.
According to Bangor Daily News, Dr. Mundell said she felt she deserved more compensation and that Mr. Oxley offered $20,000 in retroactive compensation in March 2020, but Northern Light Health denied offering her more money a month later.
Dr. Mundell resigned in March 2020 and alleges she was told she didn't need to come to work through her two weeks' notice period. Northern Light Health confirmed this in its response to the lawsuit and added that an internal investigation by the health system did not find pay disparities were based on gender.
In a statement shared with Becker's March 10, the health system said: "Northern Light Health has already gone on record with regard to its position in this matter and has nothing further to add at this time. We have not discriminated against Dr. Mundell in any way, including gender, and remain firm in our commitment to treat all of our employees equitably. Northern Light Health looks forward to its day in court and is confident it will be exonerated once the true facts are presented."