A Columbia University alumna is suing her professor Sheena Iyengar, alleging discrimination on the basis of gender.
In a lawsuit filed with the Manhattan Supreme Court, Elizabeth Blackwell complained that she was assigned "female" jobs, like applying her makeup and booking restaurants for her romantic dates, as opposed to her male colleagues, who got more "serious work", according to local media.
Blackwell, who used to work as a research associate for Iyengar, alleges that she got the job after a five-month interview process, whereas her male counterparts "encountered none of the obstacles" she faced.
Responding to the accusations, Iyengar said that it was Blackwell who was harassing her.
"If there was discrimination in this office, it was, it is, the discrimination that I felt as a blind professor who was being perpetually bullied by my employee and did not accommodate the very needs of this position," Iyengar told local media.
Blackwell's contract with the university was terminated in 2019.
Blackwell also alleges that after leaving the university, she has struggled to find work, and deals with various issues, including depression, insomnia and anxiety.
Iyengar and Columbia University are due to submit their responses to Blackwell's complaints by January 2023.