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Compliance March 3, 2014
EEOC Sues Utility Provider for Age Discrimination
March 3, 2014 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed an age discrimination lawsuit against a utility provider in Memphis, Tennessee.
Reported by Kevin McGuinness
The suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Western Division, alleges that Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) when it refused to promote an employee because of his age.
The utility provider allegedly refused to promote Carlos Phifer to the position of computer operations specialist because of his age, then 57, according to the suit. Phifer applied for the position, interviewed for it, and was the most qualified applicant. However, MLGW awarded the position to a younger, less qualified applicant, according to the suit.
The EEOC is seeking monetary relief in the form of back pay and liquidated damages on behalf of Phifer, as well as an injunction against future discrimination by MLGW. According to the EEOC, MLGW has approximately 2,500 employees and is the nation’s largest three-service municipal utility.