In a Press Release at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/releases/10-3-11.cfm , the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced filing of a federal age discrimination lawsuit against Texas Roadhouse, a national restaurant chain, claiming the restaurant has engaged in a nationwide practice or pattern of age discrimination in hiring hourly, “front of the house” employees.  In this regard, the EEOC ia a federal agency responsible for enforcing employment-related federal anti-discrimination laws.  According to the EEOC, the restaurant chain denied older workers public positions at its restaurants throughout the country, discriminating against a class of applicants for “front of the house” and other public, visible positions such as servers, hosts and bartenders, by failing to hire them because of their age, 40 years and older.  More specifically, the EEOC charges that Texas Roadhouse hired significantly few “front of the house” employees 40 or older and instructed its managers to hire younger applicants.

Workplace age discrimination violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).  EEOC lawyers filed the age discrimination lawsuit against the restaurant chain after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.  In its Press Release, the EEOC stated that individuals who believe they may have been denied a position at Texas Roadhouse because of their age or who may have information that would be helpful to the EEOC lawsuit against the restaurant can contact the EEOC toll free at 1(855)556-1129.  Additional information about the EEOC and the federal laws it enforces is available at www.eeoc.gov . 

Whether restaurant age discrimination occurs in Texas or elswhere, job applicants and employees subjected to age discrimination by restaurants may contact the EEOC and a lawyer to determine if an age discrimination lawsuit is ultimately appropriate under the particular circumstances and facts of the potential restaurant employment discrimination age.

In a Press Release at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/9-21-11c.cfm , the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced filing of an age discrimination lawsuit against a Corpus Christi, Texas based distributor of diesel, fuels, gasoline, lubricants and oil.  As described by the EEOC, the employment discrimination case claims that the Corpus Christi company violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) when it discriminated against a 72-year-old former fire chief who sought employment as a truck driver.  Filed by EEOC lawyers in a Corpus Christi federal court, the age discrimination lawsuit alleges, more specifically, that the company refused to consider this former fire chief for employment after he received a referral for a truck driver position from Texas Workforce Solutions.  According to the EEOC, the applicant had years of valuable experience operating tankers, eighteen wheeled vehicles and emergency vehicles.  In addition, he had driven 75 foot ladder trucks during years of service as a volunteer fire fighter and as a department chief.  However, the EEOC charges that when he went to apply for work with the company, a hiring official focused entirely on the man’s age rather than his qualifications and, after looking at his driver’s license, stated that he was too old to drive for the company.  Consequently, he was not allowed to complete the hiring process.

Such alleged conduct violates the ADEA, and the EEOC is a federal agency responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including discrimination related to age.  In this regard the EEOC first attempted to resolve the case pre-litigation before filing the lawsuit in Corpus Christi.  More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov . In addition to federal law prohibiting work-related age discrimination, Chapter 21of the Texas Labor Code offers protections against age discrimination in the workplace. For more information in this regard, one can visit http://www.twc.state.tx.us/crd/facts.html . 

Whether age discrimination related to employment occurs in Corpus Christi, Portland, Robstown or elsewhere in South Texas, employees subjected to this type of employment discrimination may contact the EEOC and a lawyer to determine if an age discrimination lawsuit is ultimately appropriate under the particular facts and circumstances of the potential age discrimination case.

Retaliating against people who oppose what they believe to be discriminatory conduct can violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act where, for example, an employee is subjected to retaliation by an employer after reporting workplace age discrimination.  On March 31, 2011, the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) announced filing of an employment discrimination lawsuit in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Posted at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-31-11.cfm , the EEOC Press Release states that the lawsuit charges Brooks County, Texas with violating federal law by retaliating against a secretary because she filed an age discrimination charge and lawsuit two years ago.  According to the EEOC lawsuit, Brooks County refused to give a salary increase to the secretary but salary information provided by Brooks County revealed that every single person on its list of similarly situated employees had received salary raises or were hired at higher salaries.  In this regard, the EEOC charges that Brooks County was actually punishing the secretary for filing an age discrimination charge and then lawsuit against Brooks County in 2009.  The EEOC offers information to the public about employment discrimination in its website at www.eeoc.gov .

Whether workplace discrimination based on age occurs in Corpus Christi, Houston or elsewhere, employees may contact the EEOC and an attorney to discuss their potential age discrimination case.

In its posting at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-29-11b.cfm , the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) announced on March 29, 2011 that a Dallas company agreed to pay $95,000 and to furnish other relief in order to settle an age discrimination lawsuit filed by EEOC lawyers in Houston, Texas.  According to the EEOC Press Release, a Dallas headquartered fashion design company violated federal law by firing a 62-year-old manager because of her age, supposedly as part of a RIF or “reduction-in-force,” while retaining a lesser qualified and substantially younger manager.  As stated in the Press Release, the EEOC discovered in its investigation that, within four months, the company terminated another five supervisors, whose ages ranged from 75 to 58, at its Victoria, Texas facility.  Thereafter, the company retained only two supervisors at the Victoria location, both of whom were in their early 40s. 

Age discrimination against persons age 40 and over violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).  EEOC lawyers filed the age discrimination lawsuit in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.  The EEOC offers information to the public about employment discrimination, including age discrimination, in its website at www.eeoc.gov . 

Whether workplace age discrimination occurs in Dallas, Houston, Victoria or elsewhere, Texas employees may contact the EEOC and a lawyer to determine whether an age discrimination lawsuit is appropriate under the facts and circumstances of their particular claim.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (or the EEOC) is a federal agency charged with enforcing laws that prohibit employment-related discrimination, including, for example, workplace age discrimination.  At http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/1-13-11b.cfm , the EEOC announced in a January 13, 2011 Press Release that two Houston area businesses agreed to settle an age discrimination lawsuit filed by EEOC attorneys.  According to the Press Release, EEOC attorneys charged that two male managers in their 30s harassed and discriminated against a female employee in her 50s because of her age.  More specifically, the EEOC lawsuit charged that these managers called the employee “old” and made other negative age related comments about her age, including telling her she was exhibiting signs of Alzheimer disease.  Finally, without provocation, the company fired her in August 2006 when she was 56 years old, the EEOC said.  An EEOC Regional Attorney was quoted in the Press Release as saying that age discrimination will not be tolerated and that business establishments are not exempt from the federal laws that protect workers from discrimination and adverse employment actions based on age.  In this regard, the EEOC offers information to the public about workplace discrimination, including age discrimination, in its website at www.eeoc.gov . 

Whether age related employment discrimination occurs in Houston or elsewhere, employees of Texas businesses may contact the EEOC and a lawyer to discuss their legal rights and options when they are subjected to work related age discrimination.

In a May 3, 2010 news release, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/5-3-10.cfm that a Meridian, Mississippi nursing home will pay $40,000 and furnish other relief to settle an age and race discrimination lawsuit filed by EEOC attorneys on behalf of a 53-year-old black female who claimed she was denied a social worker position because of her age and race.  According to the news release, EEOC attorneys charged in the discrimination lawsuit that the company refused to consider her for the position even though she had 27-plus years experience as a social worker.  Instead, the EEOC said, a less qualified 34-year-old white female was the only candidate interviewed and then hired. 

The EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including age and race discrimination.  The EEOC’s Birmingham District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in Alabama, Mississippi, and Northern Florida, with Area Offices in Jackson, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama.  In this regard, EEOC attorneys filed the lawsuit in the Southern District of Mississippi after first attempting to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement.  Further information about the EEOC and the federal laws it enforces is avaliable at www.eeoc.gov .   

Whether employment discrimination occurs in Mississippi or elsewhere, victims of workplace age and race discrimination or harassment may contact the EEOC and an attorney to determine if an employment discrimination lawsuit is ultimately appropriate under the particular facts and circumstances of the potential discrimination claim.

In a press release at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-24-10.cfm , lawyers with the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that Kmart Corporation will pay $120,000 and furnish other relief to settle an age harassment, constructive discharge and retaliation lawsuit filed by the federal agency.  According to the March 24, 2010 press release, EEOC lawyers had charged in the case that the company discriminated against a 70-year-old pharmacist at a Honolulu store when, over the course of four years, a pharmacy manager openly professed on several occasions that the pharmacist was “too old,” and was “greedy” for continuing to work at age 70.  In addition, the EEOC alleged that the manager continued to humiliate the pharmacist in writing by stating, “The pharmacy is no longer your forte” and “You need to retire from pharmacy work now,” in a communication book open to the entire department.  EEOC lawyers further alleged that the victim complained to a district manager, general manager and human resources manager concerning the age based harassment, to no avail, and the company threatened legal action against the victim using a pretext on an unrelated matter to retaliate against her for her discrimination complaint.  Finally, the EEOC said, she had to quit to escape the mistreatment. 

Such alleged mistreatment and the company’s failure to adequately address it violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).  In this regard, the EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including age related harassment and retaliation for complaining about it.  Further information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .

A Houston based concrete company will pay $135,000 to settle a national origin, age and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against its Memphis subsidiary, according to an EEOC press release at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-11-10b.cfm .  As stated in the press release, EEOC lawyers charged in the employment discrimination lawsuit that company officials harassed and discriminated against a Thai-American employee because of his East Asian national origin and age.  The sales technician was allegedly called “J-p” even though he is of Thai ancestry.  In addition, the EEOC contended that the employee was subjected to insensitive ageist comments and then removed from the sales department and demoted to a driver job because of his age and national origin.  After complaining about the discrimination, he was further harassed, including being assigned to defective trucks, and repeatedly threatened with firing.  Moreover, after the company moved him out of sales, it hired two unqualified white men into that department, without an application process that would have given him the chance to apply for the positions.  The EEOC asserted that the Thai-American employee ultimately resigned when the work environment became too hostile to endure. 

Such alleged misconduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.  In this regard, the EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.  Further information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .

Whether hostile workplace discrimination occurs in Beaumont, Conroe, Houston or elsewhere, victims may contact the EEOC and a lawyer to determine if an employment discrimination lawsuit is ultimately appropriate under the particular facts and circumstances of the potential harassment claim.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including age discrimination.  In a February 3, 2010 EEOC Press Release at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/2-3-10b.cfm , federal agency lawyers announced that an Atlanta clothing store company will pay $40,050 to settle an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the EEOC.  According to the Press Release, EEOC lawyers charged in the age discrimination lawsuit that the company subjected an employee to discriminatory terms and conditions of employment, including disparate discipline and, ultimately, terminated her because of her age.  An EEOC lawyer with the EEOC’s Atlanta Office was quoted in the Press Release as saying “We are pleased with the employer’s efforts to quickly resolve this dispute, while taking affirmative steps to remain in compliance with the law in the future.”  For its own part, the company denied any wrongdoing or liability.  Further information about the EEOC is available in its website at www.eeoc.gov .

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) attorneys have filed an age discrimination lawsuit against a New York City law firm alleging that the firm violated federal age discrimination law through its compensation system, according to a January 28, 2010 EEOC Press Release found at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/1-28-10a.cfm .  As stated in the Press Release, EEOC attorneys charge that the law firm’s compensation system provides dramatically reduced compensation to attorneys who practiced law after turning 70 years of age.  More specifically, the EEOC contends that the law firm requires all partners to give up their ownership interest in the firm at the age of 70, and, if an attorney continues to work, his or her compensation consists of an annual “bonus” payment in an amount totally within the discretion of the firm’s executive committee.  According to the EEOC, the reduced compensation is less than what is provided to similarly productive younger attorneys. 

In this case, a law firm attorney turned 70 in 2001 and his compensation has been substantially less than younger attorneys at the firm with similar productivity even though he routinely has obtained over $1 million in fees annually from his clients.  When the attorney complained about the age based compensation system, the EEOC said that the law firm reduced his bonus payment by two-thirds while his productivity remained the same.

This alleged conduct violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits age based employment discrimination against those aged 40 and older, and which also bars employers from retaliating against those who complain about such unlawful employment practices.  In this regard, the EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including age discrimination.  EEOC attorneys filed the age discrimination lawsuit after attempting to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement.

In Fiscal Year 2009, the EEOC received 22,778 age discrimination charge filings, the second highest level ever, accounting for 24% of its private sector caseload.  EEOC age discrimination charge data may be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/adea.cfm .  Further information about the EEOC may be found at www.eeoc.gov .