NYC author Sheena Iyengar sued by former Columbia student

According to a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court and a published report, a Columbia University graduate claims her professor assigned her degrading “feminine” jobs, such as applying her makeup and booking restaurants.

Elizabeth Blackwell earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology magna cum laude in 2017. After an intense five-month interview process, Blackwell began working as a “research associate” for Sheena Iyengar, a professor at Columbia Business School and author of The Art of Choosing.

But Iyengar, 52, “insisted” that Blackwell perform duties that included “personal and supportive administrative and secretarial duties,” the complaint said. “Those duties included applying Iyengar’s makeup and booking restaurants for their romantic dates,” Blackwell said in an interview, according to the Washington Square News.

In contrast, Blackwell’s male counterpart “did not encounter any of the obstacles that Ms. Blackwell had to overcome,” according to the lawsuit.

Blackwell alleges that Iyengar soon gave the male colleague many of her research responsibilities — which were outside of his job description as program coordinator — because “she was a woman,” according to the lawsuit.

Blackwell accused the professor of “disruptive gender-discriminatory behavior and retaliatory actions” in the lawsuit.

In January 2019, Columbia Blackwell resigned, claiming her position was axed, according to the complaint.

Neither Blackwell, Columbia University, nor Iyengar have returned messages.