The Salk Institute has settled two of the three gender discrimination lawsuits brought against it, Science reports.
Last year, two researchers, Vicki Lundblad and Katherine Jones, filed lawsuits against the Salk that alleged the institute was as an "old boys' club" where "women are paid less, not promoted, and denied opportunities and benefits simply because they are women." A third researcher filed another suit shortly thereafter, as Science reported at the time. Two of these suits said Inder Verma, a former cancer researcher there, prevented female researchers' careers from advancing, Science notes. Verma resigned from the Salk in June, and previously as the editor-in-chief of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, following sexual harassment allegations.
Lundblad and Jones have now settled their suits with the Salk, Science reports. In a joint statement with Salk President Rusty Gage, Lundblad and Jones say that discussions they had "have led to a resolution of all claims between these parties that will enable us to put our disagreements behind us and move forward together at Salk for the collective good of the Institute and science." Science adds that Lundblad and Jones will continue to work at the institute.
It notes that the third suit, brought by Beverly Emerson, who is no longer at the Salk, is going forward.