Benefits November 17, 2011

Champion Window to Pay for Firing Manager Due to Age

November 17, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Champion Window Company of Columbus, Georgia, and its corporate parent, Champion Retailco, will pay $80,000 to settle an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  

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In its lawsuit, filed on July 26, 2010, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, the EEOC charged that a top manager reportedly issued an order that installation manager Ronald Henderson be fired and “someone young and energetic” be hired in his place. Further, the agency charged that the employer had Henderson train his much younger replacement just prior to his own discharge.

According to the EEOC, this alleged conduct violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits employers from subjecting employees to discrimination due to age. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

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The consent decree settling the suit, in addition to the monetary relief, includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training and reporting and posting of anti-discrimination notices. In the suit and consent decree, Champion denied any liability or wrongdoing.

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