The University of South Central Maryland received applications for administrative and academic staff positions. They received 1000 applications from women and hired 450, a 45% hiring rate. They received 1000 applications from men and hired 625, a 62.5% hiring rate. Based on these numbers, the hiring rate for men was higher than for women, which could indicate potential discrimination. However, the document notes that more context is needed to make a definitive claim, as factors like qualifications could impact the hiring rates.

1. Based on the numbers presented below, what do you think of the discrimination claim?
Hint...you can do some math here.
The (entirely fictitious) University of South Central Maryland (USCM) is being sued for
sexually discriminatory hiring practices. Last year, they hired two classes of employees,
administrative staff and academic staff. They received 750 applications from women for
administrative staff positions, of which they hired 250, and 250 applications from women for
academic positions, of which they hired 200. In total, then, they had 1000 applications from
women of which they hired 450, or 45%. They received 300 applications from men for the
administrative positions, of which they hired 75, and 700 applications from men for the academic
positions, of which they hired 550. In total, of the 1000 applications they received from men,
they hired 625, or 62.5%.
Solution
Not enough information. If 70% of the women were high school dropouts, would
you consider it discrimination to not hire a disproportionate number of the women? These kinds
of questions are exactly why the Supreme Court noted that statistical information is a poor and
shaky way of making a discrimination claim across widely varying individuals.