A Columbia University alum alleges her professor assigned her demeaning “female” jobs like applying her makeup and booking restaurants, according to a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit and a published report.
Elizabeth Blackwell earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2017, graduating magna cum laude. After an intensive five-month interview process, Blackwell began working as a “research associate” for Sheena Iyengar, a Columbia Business School professor and author of “Art of Choosing.”
But Iyengar, 52, “insisted” Blackwell perform duties that included “personal and supportive administrative and secretarial tasks,” the complaint says. “These tasks included applying Iyengar’s makeup and booking restaurants for her romantic dates,” Blackwell said in an interview, according to the Washington Square News.
In contrast, Blackwell’s male counterpart “encountered none of the obstacles that Ms. Blackwell was forced to overcome,” the suit alleges.
Blackwell claims Iyengar soon assigned many of her research duties to the male co-worker — which were outside his program coordinator job description — because “she was a woman,” according to the lawsuit.
Blackwell accused the professor of “disturbing gender-based discrimination behavior and retaliation” in the lawsuit.
In January 2019, Columbia terminated Blackwell, claiming her position had been eliminated, the complaint charges.
Neither Blackwell, Columbia University nor Iyengar returned messages.
