Finkelstein (1980), in a discussion of the use of regression in discrimination cases, wrote, “[a] variable may reflect a position or status bestowed by the employer, in which case if there is...

Finkelstein (1980), in a discussion of the use of regression in discrimination cases, wrote, “[a] variable may reflect a position or status bestowed by the employer, in which case if there is discrimination in the award of the position or status, the variable may be ‘tainted.’” Thus, for example, if discrimination is at work in promotion of faculty to higher ranks, using rank to adjust salaries before comparing the sexes may not be acceptable to the courts. Exclude the variable rank, refit, and summarize.