A major drive began last month to finance research for a class action suit charging Brown University with sex discrimination in hiring, promotion, contract renewal and tenure procedures.

The Women's Equity Action League is distributing 10,000 letters to university officials and women's organizations across the country outlining the charges against Brown and asking for money to pay for an investigation of files and documents related to the suit.

The case, originally filed by Louise Lamphere, who resigned after being denied tenure in 1975, includes all women who have applied for jobs or taught at Brown since March of 1972.

University Class

"This is the most comprehensive and potentially the strongest class action suit at the university level that has entered the courts to date," Patricia Russian, a former professor at Brown who says she was fired because of sex discrimination, said yesterday.

Kelsey Murdock, assistant to the president at Brown, said yesterday only that Brown's lawyers are preparing the defense but that he felt it was "imprudent to comment on a case presently in the court."

Brown's current policies on tenure and hiring are based on subjective data and tenured faculty's personal biases, Russian said.

"The University is in the situation of having to resist our charges, which means they must argue in favor of no uniform rules, procedures, or criteria," she added.

Russian estimated the cost of the suit will total nearly $500,000 for each side. The women's group is not setting a specific goal for their fund drive, Russian said.