Long Beach Community College District agrees to $18 million settlement in adjunct lawsuit

The Long Beach Community College District has reached an $18 million settlement with over 1,450 part-time professors to resolve a class-action lawsuit claiming that these educators were compelled to work uncompensated hours outside of teaching, including grading assessments, meeting with students, and preparing curriculum. The district’s board endorsed the settlement without much fanfare last month, pending approval from the presiding judge, Stuart Rice, who is scheduled to review the case on July 1 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Judge Rice had previously determined that the adjunct instructors, who are often referred to as adjuncts, were justified in their claim for payment, citing several issues with the district’s arguments against violating state regulations.

The impacts of this case have reverberated across the state, prompting other institutions to reevaluate their contract terms to ensure that adjuncts are compensated for all work done, not just in-class instruction. Eileen B. Goldsmith, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, noted in an interview that the settlement could set a precedent for fair compensation practices. The Long Beach Community College District has already earmarked $20 million for the settlement and associated expenses, according to Stacey Toda, a district spokesperson, who communicated these details via email to the Long Beach Post. Toda emphasized that resolving the lawsuit expediently allows the district to mitigate legal risks responsibly, aligning with standard practices among public higher education institutions.

The significance of this settlement cannot be overstated, remarked John Martin, the chair of the California Part-Time Faculty Association and an adjunct lecturer at community colleges in Shasta and Butte counties. Martin, an outspoken advocate for improved wages for adjuncts, is actively involved in comparable litigation against the statewide Community College system. In a legal filing, Goldsmith outlined that the proposed settlement, if approved, would deliver over $11,000 to each of the 1,456 members of the affected class, culminating in a noteworthy financial outcome for these educators given the unique complexities of this legal battle.

Overall, this settlement marks a turning point in the ongoing struggle for fair compensation in the field of adjunct instruction. With the Long Beach Community College District taking a proactive stance to address the claims of its part-time faculty members, other institutions may follow suit, thereby ensuring that educators receive equitable pay for the substantial efforts demanded of them beyond traditional teaching hours. The impact of this legal resolution is far-reaching and underscores the importance of upholding fair labor practices within the realm of higher education.