Title: Vermont Athletic Director Wins $475K Equal Pay Settlement
A longtime Burlington High School athletic director has won a $475,000 settlement in what her attorney calls likely the nation’s largest equal-pay case for a single plaintiff in the public sector.
Jeanne Hulsen’s five-year legal battle against the Burlington School District began after she discovered she was underpaid compared to male athletic directors in Chittenden County, then lost her job to a younger man who started at a higher salary than she earned after 22 years.
Hulsen’s story began with bitter irony. In fall 2019, the Burlington High girls’ soccer team went viral after lifting their jerseys to reveal #EQUALPAY shirts following a game-winning goal against South Burlington. The stunt drew praise from Anderson Cooper, National Public Radio, and soccer star Abby Wambach. The team was recognized in a resolution by the Burlington City Council. Hulsen bought her own #EQUALPAY jersey for $25.
But four years earlier, Hulsen had presented evidence to district leadership showing she was underpaid compared to her male counterparts. Her request for a raise was rejected.
“This is a common story, but to fight it is very uncommon,” Hulsen said. “It’s so hard to do.”
The final blow came in 2020 when Hulsen, then 59, received an email saying her position was eliminated in favor of a new district-wide athletics role. She applied but lost the job to a man decades younger who started at a salary substantially higher than her pay after more than two decades.
Hulsen filed suit in U.S. District Court in November 2020. Last November, the district agreed to settle for $475,000, though spokesperson Russ Elek said officials still consider her claim “baseless” and were confident about winning at trial. The district’s insurance company made the settlement decision.
Hulsen’s lawyer, John Franco, said his research indicates this is likely the nation’s largest equal-pay settlement case in the public sector for a single plaintiff.
The case highlights persistent gender pay gaps. A recent report by Vermont Works for Women found that in 2023, women working full time in Vermont earned 86 cents for every dollar paid to men, translating to $9,000 less in annual earnings.
University of Vermont economics professor emerita Stephanie Seguino, who served as an expert witness for Hulsen, noted that women often don’t speak up about pay discrimination due to fear of retaliation.
Hulsen was hired by Burlington in 1998. Her low annual salary had long-range financial impact because her pension was based on her three highest paid years with the district.
For Hulsen, the result feels like justice, as well as a symbolic victory for the many women who have been subject to pay discrimination.
