When a lawsuit is on-going, amendments to the original lawsuit may be filed or rejected depending on their merit. In one case, a police officer filed a lawsuit against the police department, the local municipality and others, and he has now filed a notice to amend the lawsuit to include a claim of age discrimination. The man, like many Colorado police officers, has worked for over two decades as an officer and claims he has been unfairly passed over for promotion.
The suit originated as the police officer attended a charity event for a political rival of the mayor, who is in charge of appointing and promoting police officers after considering advice from the borough council. The officer was off-duty and not in uniform at the time he attended the event. The lawsuit says there was a meeting at which the officer was told there would be retribution for attending the event.
The police officer also says he was passed over for a promotion even though he was the highest ranking officer at the time. Another officer was promoted. The officer filing suit says that the promoted officer had less experience and less seniority, yet he was awarded the position. The officer filing suit is seeking damages and says his career has been derailed as a result of the alleged actions taken against him.
Age discrimination in Colorado and elsewhere is a serious issue in many workplaces. While difficult to prove, evidence documenting such types of discrimination can help lead to a fair and just resolution. Some forms of evidence may include the age and experience of another worker who received a promotion or who replaced the worker who contends to be the victim of age discrimination. When age discrimination is suspected or occurs after a lawsuit has been filed, a motion to amend the lawsuit to include the claim can help a victim get the compensation or damages he or she deserves.
Source: northjersey.com, “Saddle River cop to add age-discrimination claim in suit over lack of promotion“, Marina Villeneuve, Aug. 30, 2015