Marshall Burns, a 73-year-old physics professor at Tuskegee University, alleges the school pays younger employees at least $18,000 to $30,000 more than him, although his professorship spans over four decades.

Burns began his career at Tuskegee University in 1976 as an assistant professor, according to court documents—being promoted to a full-time position in 1980. The physics professor wrote a physics textbook—recognized by the Alabama state legislature, helped found the university's first physics major, and lobbied for additional university funding.