In the wave of recent revelations about gender discrimination in tech, science and venture capital, a surprising new twist is coming from an unsuspected corner. The Salk Institute–a scientific research setting in scenic La Jolla, California, with 600 employees–is in the spotlight today. It’s just the latest in a wave of gender discrimination allegations at science-forward firms like Tesla, Microsoft, and Magic Leap, where the inclusive rhetoric is being road-tested in court.
At Salk, Two scientists, Vicki Lunblad, Ph.D, and Katherine Jones, Ph.D, filed suits alleging, “Salk has allowed an “old boys club” culture to dominate, creating a hostile work environment for the Salk tenured women professors.” This was the fundraising brochure (pictured here) that helped raise $125 million dollars and their largest single gift to date.
You might think the women scientists depicted in this image were to be among the major beneficiaries, through their research, of these scientific grants. Not so. As covered by reporter Meredith Wadman for Science,
Jones alleges in her complaint that Salk leaders used female faculty members and scientists as “donor-bait” by picturing them on mailers sent to potential donors “in an effort to make it appear that Salk recognizes the importance of retaining and promoting and paying women equally.”
Some of the mismatch between reality and the rhetoric of the organization includes, according to the scientists’ complaints, these numbers:
- Of the 21 new endowed chairs created in the last few years, only 2 were awarded to women. “Salk has weaponized the awarding of endowed chairs….perpetuat[ing] a negative cycle where female faculty are unable to obtain resources, but then denied further resources or opportunities because they do not have prior access to resources, including an endowed chair,” writes Lundblad, as quoted in Science.
- In the last three years, only 1 of 13 new faculty hires has been female, according to the complaint.
- $42 million was donated to Salk by Helmsley Charitable Trust after the 2013 fundraising campaign featuring women. The lion’s share of it went to labs run by male scientists.
- Male scientists have an average team of 11; female scientists of the same rank have an average team size of 3.
Salk Institute responded with a statement that Lundblad and Jones had been “treated generously by the Institute, including relative to their male peers. Each scientist’s lucrative compensation package is consistent with well-recognized metrics that have been applied to all Salk faculty in a nondiscriminatory manner…..”
My take? This is in keeping with the standard response to deny wrongdoing until proven, and straight from the playbook of firms like Uber, Binary Capital or 500 Startups, whose denials brought more victims forward until change happened.
Rhetoric meeting reality–in court
From the brochure image and headline, Salk has established that it appreciates the power of women scientists. However, that lip service that works so well in marketing has a long way to go in the operation of the business, is the thrust of these complaints. This issue is a big one for many organizations today, where Twitter feeds, decency pledges, and marketing brochures often reflect an aspirational inclusiveness that’s out of step with the operational reality of the firm.
Uber, Salk Institute, Binary Capital, 500 Startups, Tesla . . . who’s next?
The list is growing of science and tech organizations that are able to express beautiful values in words, but struggle to translate those values into metrics that drive action. Today, Bobby Franklin, executive director of the NVCA, sent out a memo to all venture capital members (like me) that read in part:
Four weeks have passed since news first broke of incidents of sexual harassment by a member of the venture community. Since then, several other instances of inappropriate behavior involving individuals from our industry have come into the spotlight. As much as it pains me to say this, this is probably not the end but the beginning.
No matter how these types of claims are settled, in or out of court, the embarrassment and exposure for Salk. The numbers these scientists bring to light expose a culture that looks, by the numbers, to be unequal in its power dynamic regarding gender. If so, they are certainly not alone. For example, Tesla Engineer AJ Vandermeyden , represented by Therese Lawless who also represented Ellen Pao, was recently fired after she alleged gender discrimination. Lawless, quoted recently in The Guardian, remarked, “It is illegal in the state of California for an employer to retaliate against an employee who asserts her rights, including her rights to receive equal pay as her male colleagues.” She commented that Tesla had just proved their case.
For a lot of companies, it’s time for a gut check.
Do you look like a totally different firm, say, on Twitter or on your blog than you are at annual compensation decision time? The trend in lawsuits is indicating the time is over for words, decency pledges and perspectives–it’s facts, actions, and numbers that are showing up for their day in court along with a lot of very brave scientists, engineers, and leaders.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.