Seven female medical school professors at Pennsylvania State University sued their employer last week, saying they have been paid less than their male counterparts and have received fewer benefits for the same job.

The professors are asking for back pay in addition to any benefits that are disparate as a result of the alleged discrimination.

The women's lawyer, Clifford Haines, said the professors have tried to achieve equality in the workplace, adding that suing is a last resort.

"This is not their first choice," Haines said. "[It is] the only alternative they are left with."

Haines said the women have felt disrespected in the workplace for many years, adding they should be "adequately and appropriately compensated" for the job they do.

"I think that every woman who is in the position these women are in — who is confronted with a long history of disparity in income — feels a lack of respect that represents a critical part of what my clients want," Haines said.

The lawsuit, Haines added, places the professors in an awkward situation and jeopardizes their jobs.

"It is not a comfortable situation for them to be in to effectively sue their employer while expecting to continue their employment with them," Haines said.

University of Wisconsin professor Donald Downs said the lawsuit may make it harder for the women to obtain a job at another university in the future.

"Sometimes that's the case, — it depends on who the women are and where they apply [for future jobs]," Downs said. "It takes courage to sue your institution."

Downs added there are rules preventing PSU from taking harsh actions against the women, though the university could take smaller actions to punish them.

"There are rules about not allowing retaliation in these kinds of suits," Downs said. "[But there are] always subtle things they can do."

The professors decided to sue PSU after their claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was dismissed.

PSU spokesperson Annemarie Mountz declined to comment on the pending litigation, but said the EEOC conducted a thorough investigation into the matter.

"The EEOC did review the issue and closed the file on it," Mountz said. "They did a[n] … investigation which resulted in them dismissing the claim."

But Haines said the EEOC, a federal agency, may have overlooked significant details.

"The EEOC is regrettably an under-funded federal agency and they sometimes can't do evaluations," Haines said. "This is a very complex case, and whether or not it was beyond their capacity to get into the details or not, I do not know."

And Downs said the EEOC's decision may bear weight on the court's ultimate decision.

"[The EEOC's ruling] would probably have some evidentiary weight," Downs said. "It would be some evidence on the side of the school."