When a professional feels pushed out of a position or believes he or she has been unfairly treated solely because he or she has reached a certain age, there are legal steps that may be taken to rectify the situation. One way to fight any form of age discrimination is to file a suit against an employer. Colorado educators in particular may want to know their options if they believe they have been terminated or received disparate treatment on the job because of their age. In order to file an age discrimination suit, the claimant must be over 40 years old.
One educator who is currently seeking legal action against her employer worked for a school district for over 20 years. She claims, among other things, that she was disciplined for certain behaviors other teachers were not disciplined for doing. Some examples included using cell phones on the job and leaving work early.
The teacher cites at least two other examples of alleged age discrimination within the district. One example involved a 58-year-old teacher who was replaced by a 28-year-old teacher. The other example involved a 60-year-old teacher who was the victim of retaliation for saying she would testify honestly if asked to be a witness in the pending age discrimination case.
The 58-year-old teacher at the center of this age discrimination claim is seeking damages, wage compensation and benefits. While age discrimination cases in Colorado may be difficult to prove, the ability to cite other similar incidents in the same workplace may be beneficial as a case moves forward. A successful age discrimination law suit can lead to reinstatement of a position, financial damages and/or compensation of wages.
Source: bradfordera.com, “Ex-Ridgway teacher files age discrimination suit against district“, Colin Deppen, Sept. 16, 2015