Duke University Sued Over Lifespan Data Backing Pension Math

Duke University was hit with a proposed class action by a former employee who says the school shortchanged retirement benefits for certain married workers by using outdated lifespan data.

The lawsuit, filed Sept. 29 in the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, challenges how Duke calculated the pensions of workers who chose benefit formulas that include post-death payments for their surviving spouses. Until a few months ago, Duke calculated these benefits using decades-old life expectancy data that don’t account for recent increases in longevity, causing workers who choose these benefit formats to have their payments improperly ...