Long Beach Community College District has agreed to pay $18 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by more than 1,450 part-time professors who alleged they were forced to work unpaid hours outside the classroom. The settlement, quietly approved by the district board in January 2026, covers 1,456 adjunct faculty members and works out to an average payout of more than $11,000 per class member. Final court approval is still pending, with a hearing scheduled for July 1 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The lawsuit was originally filed in April 2022 by the California Teachers Association on behalf of more than 650 adjunct faculty. It has since grown significantly after a judge certified class-action status, expanding the plaintiff pool to nearly 1,500 instructors. The case has already sent ripples through California’s community college system, with some districts preemptively renegotiating contract terms to compensate adjuncts for prep work and grading time.
Table of Contents
- What Led to the $18M Long Beach Community College Settlement for Part-Time Professors?
- How Judge Rice’s Rulings Shaped the Case Against Long Beach Community College District
- What the $18 Million Settlement Means for the 1,456 Class Members
- How Adjunct Faculty at Other California Community Colleges Are Already Affected
- Common Pitfalls for Adjunct Faculty Pursuing Wage Claims
- The Role of the California Teachers Association in Adjunct Advocacy
- What This Settlement Signals for the Future of Adjunct Compensation
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Led to the $18M Long Beach Community College Settlement for Part-Time Professors?
The core allegation was straightforward: Long Beach Community College District was not paying its adjunct professors for work performed outside the classroom. That work included grading papers and tests, meeting with students during office hours, preparing lesson plans, and other duties that are essential to teaching but fell outside the narrow window of compensated class time. The California Teachers Association filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in April 2022, initially representing more than 650 adjunct faculty members. To put this in concrete terms, consider an adjunct teaching three courses per semester.
Each course might require five to ten hours per week of grading, student communication, and lesson preparation on top of actual lecture time. over the course of a semester, that adds up to hundreds of hours of uncompensated labor. The lawsuit sought three years of back pay, unpaid retirement benefits tied to those uncompensated hours, plus penalties and interest. For many adjuncts already earning a fraction of what their full-time colleagues make, the missing pay represented a significant portion of their total compensation.
How Judge Rice’s Rulings Shaped the Case Against Long Beach Community College District
Judge Stuart Rice, who oversaw the case in Los Angeles County Superior Court, issued rulings that proved decisive. Most critically, he certified the lawsuit as a class action, which expanded the class from the original 650 plaintiffs to 1,456 adjunct faculty members. That certification meant the district could no longer treat the complaints as isolated disputes between individual instructors and their departments. Judge Rice also ruled that the adjuncts were entitled to the pay they sought, finding what he described as “a many of problems” with the district’s argument that its existing practices did not violate state law.
That language is worth noting because it suggests the court saw systemic issues rather than mere administrative oversights. However, if the district had been able to demonstrate that adjuncts had voluntarily agreed to compensation terms that excluded out-of-class work, the outcome might have been different. The fact that grading, student meetings, and lesson prep are inherently required duties made that defense difficult to sustain. The district’s decision to settle rather than continue litigating likely reflects the strength of the judge’s earlier rulings. When a court has already found “a many of problems” with your legal position, the calculus shifts toward damage control.
What the $18 Million Settlement Means for the 1,456 Class Members
The $18 million settlement fund, divided among 1,456 class members, produces an average individual payout exceeding $11,000. That figure will vary depending on factors like how many courses each adjunct taught during the relevant period, how many out-of-class hours they logged, and the specific terms of the settlement distribution formula. Adjuncts who taught heavier course loads over all three years covered by the lawsuit will likely receive more than those with lighter schedules. For context, $11,000 represents a meaningful sum for adjunct faculty, many of whom piece together teaching assignments across multiple institutions just to make ends meet.
National surveys have consistently found that adjunct professors earn between $20,000 and $40,000 annually, often without benefits. An $11,000 payment effectively amounts to several months of take-home pay for many in this group. The settlement still requires Judge Rice’s final sign-off, with a hearing set for July 1, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Given the judge’s prior rulings in favor of the adjuncts, approval is considered likely, though it is not guaranteed until the hearing takes place.
How Adjunct Faculty at Other California Community Colleges Are Already Affected
This case has not stayed contained within Long Beach. According to reports from the California Teachers Association, the lawsuit has made “a major impact throughout the state already.” Some California community college districts have begun negotiating contract terms that explicitly provide adjunct faculty with pay for time spent on preparation, grading, and other out-of-class duties. That shift represents a direct response to the legal exposure this case revealed. The tradeoff for districts is real.
Compensating adjuncts for out-of-class work means either increasing budgets or reducing the number of adjunct-taught sections. Community colleges across California rely heavily on part-time instructors because they cost less than full-time faculty. If adjuncts must be paid for all the work they actually perform, the cost savings shrink, and districts face hard choices about how to allocate limited funding. Some may respond by converting more positions to full-time roles with built-in compensation for prep work, while others may reduce course offerings or increase class sizes. Neither outcome is painless, but the legal landscape now makes the old model of unpaid out-of-class work significantly riskier for institutions to maintain.
Common Pitfalls for Adjunct Faculty Pursuing Wage Claims
One limitation worth understanding is that wage claims like this one depend heavily on state labor law. California has some of the strongest worker protections in the country, and the legal framework here supported the adjuncts’ argument that out-of-class work constituted compensable labor. Adjunct faculty in states with weaker labor protections may find it significantly harder to bring similar claims, even if the underlying working conditions are identical. Another warning: the timeline matters. The Long Beach lawsuit sought three years of back pay, which aligns with California’s statute of limitations for wage claims.
Adjuncts who wait too long to act may lose the ability to recover pay for earlier periods. If you believe you are performing uncompensated work, documenting your hours now—even informally—creates a record that could prove valuable later. It is also worth noting that class-action certification is never guaranteed. The Long Beach case succeeded in part because the adjuncts’ working conditions were sufficiently uniform across the class. At institutions where adjunct duties and compensation structures vary widely from department to department, achieving class certification could be more difficult.
The Role of the California Teachers Association in Adjunct Advocacy
The California Teachers Association did not just lend its name to the lawsuit—it provided the organizational infrastructure that made a case of this scale possible. Individual adjunct professors, many of whom lack job security and fear retaliation, are rarely in a position to file lawsuits against their employers.
The CTA’s involvement meant the plaintiffs had access to legal resources and institutional backing that leveled the playing field against the district’s legal team. This case serves as a concrete example of how union representation can translate directly into financial outcomes for workers who might otherwise have no practical recourse.
What This Settlement Signals for the Future of Adjunct Compensation
The Long Beach settlement is being described as a landmark case for adjunct faculty compensation rights, and the label seems warranted. The combination of a large dollar figure, a broad class of plaintiffs, and explicit judicial findings against the district’s practices creates a precedent that other adjunct faculty and their unions can point to. While each case will turn on its own facts and applicable law, the Long Beach outcome makes it harder for institutions to argue with a straight face that requiring adjuncts to grade, prep, and meet with students without pay is legally defensible—at least in California.
Looking ahead, the July 1 hearing for final approval will be the next milestone. If Judge Rice approves the settlement as expected, the focus will shift to distribution of funds and, more broadly, to whether other districts adjust their practices proactively or wait to be sued. The smarter move is obvious, but institutional inertia is a powerful force.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the Long Beach Community College settlement?
The settlement covers 1,456 part-time (adjunct) professors who worked at Long Beach Community College District during the period covered by the lawsuit. Class-action status was certified by Judge Stuart Rice, expanding eligibility beyond the original 650 plaintiffs.
How much will each adjunct professor receive from the $18 million settlement?
The average payout is expected to exceed $11,000 per class member, though individual amounts will vary based on factors like teaching load and the number of semesters worked during the relevant period.
Has the Long Beach Community College settlement been finalized?
Not yet. The district board approved the $18 million settlement, but it still requires final sign-off from Judge Stuart Rice. A hearing is scheduled for July 1, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Approval is considered likely given the judge’s prior rulings.
What was the lawsuit about?
The California Teachers Association alleged that Long Beach Community College District forced adjunct professors to work unpaid hours outside the classroom, including grading papers, meeting with students, and preparing lessons. The lawsuit sought three years of back pay, unpaid retirement benefits, penalties, and interest.
Does this settlement affect adjunct professors at other colleges?
Directly, no—only Long Beach Community College District adjuncts are covered. However, the case has already prompted some California community college districts to begin negotiating contract terms that compensate adjuncts for out-of-class work, and it may encourage similar lawsuits elsewhere.
Can adjunct professors in other states file similar lawsuits?
Potentially, but the legal viability depends on state labor law. California has unusually strong worker protections that supported this case. Adjuncts in other states should consult with an employment attorney familiar with local wage and hour laws before pursuing claims.
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