It’s usually pretty tough for applicants to prove they were denied admission based on gender. But there are exceptions.

Kimberly Tingley-Kelley applied to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine six times between 2002 and 2007. Her grades and GRE scores were on the low end of the range accepted by the school, but she was denied admission each time she applied.

Tingley-Kelley sued the school, claiming it denied her admission based on her gender and because she was a woman with young children and a husband in the military.

To support her claims, she pointed to her application review form, on which admissions committee members noted “concerns about how she’ll do in school esp. w/family, etc.” Another note pointed out that she’d be at school with two young children, while a third said Tingley-Kelley would have “a tough row to hoe.”

Tingley-Kelley also said her childcare responsibilities were discussed at length during admissions interviews.

This was all direct evidence that admissions committee members considered her status as a mother with young children and a spouse in the military when they chose to deny her admission, the court said. Therefore, it refused to grant summary judgment to the school on the discrimination claim.

Cite: Tingley-Kelley v. Trustees of the Univ. of Pennsylvania.

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Tags: admissions, discrimination, gender discrimination, University of Pennsylvania