Age Discrimination Lawsuit Where Employer Asked Rejected Job Applicant His Age Filed By EEOC
On April 14, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a press release announcing that it has filed an age discrimination lawsuit against United Precision Products, Inc., LLC (United Precision). On April 14, 2020, the EEOC filed the case, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. United Precision, Inc., LLC, Case No. 2:20-cv-10930, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan after initially seeking to obtain a pre-litigation resolution of the case through its statutorily mandated conciliation process.
The EEOC has commenced the age discrimination lawsuit pursuant to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) on behalf of an individual, Michael Gray (Gray), who applied for employment with United Precision. The ADEA protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of age. The ADEA’s protection against age discrimination applies to all job applicants and employees over the age of forty. The EEOC claims that United Precision refused to hire Gray because of his age in violation of the ADEA. In this article, our Marion County, Florida age discrimination attorneys explain the EEOC’s allegations against United Precision.
EEOC Alleges Unlawful Age Discrimination
United Precision is a supplier of aerospace components based in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. In August 2017, Gray applied for an open machine operator position at United Precision’s factory in Dearborn Heights. Gray was sixty-four when he applied for the position. Gray was referred to United Precision by an employee leasing company, Advance Staffing. On August 17, 2017, the Plant Superintendent of the Dearborn Heights facility interviewed Gray for the position. According to the EEOC, Gray possessed the requisite qualifications for the position. During the interview, the Plant Superintendent asked for and received Gray’s age and date of graduation from high school. After learning Gray’s age, the Plant Superintendent commented that Gray looked good for his age.
That same day, shortly after the interview, Advance Staffing contacted United Precision by e-mail to follow up on Gray’s interview. On August 21, 2017, the Plant Superintendent responded to Advance Staffing’s e-mail and indicated that he was concerned that Gray did not have the desire to be in the workforce long term. Later that same day, Advance Staffing e-mailed a reply to the Plant Superintendent’s concern and informed the Plant Superintendent that Gray intended to work for at least another ten years. United Precision never responded to this e-mail and never hired Gray. By denying Gray employment because of his age, the EEOC contends, United Precision violated the ADEA.
Fighting Against Age Discrimination
The EEOC is the administrative agency of the United States responsible for interpreting and enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In enforcing the federal anti-discrimination laws, the EEOC is also permitted by federal law to file lawsuits on behalf of job applicants and employees who have been discriminated against on the basis of age. In the press release issued by the EEOC on April 14, 2020 regarding the case, a trial attorney for the EEOC’s Detroit Field Office, Dale Price, explained that “refusing to hire an applicant because of age is a textbook violation of the ADEA.” In further commenting on the case, Mr. Price stated that the EEOC “is pursuing this matter because federal law provides specific protections to members of our workforce who are 40 or older.”
Consult With Ocala Age Discrimination Lawyers
Based in Ocala, Florida and representing employees throughout Central Florida, our Marion County, Florida age discrimination attorneys have dedicated their practice to fighting against employees who discriminate against older workers because of their age. If you have been discriminated against on the basis of age or have questions about your protection against age discrimination under the federal anti-discrimination laws, please contact our office for a free consultation with our Ocala, Florida age discrimination lawyers. Our employment and labor law attorneys take age discrimination cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that there are no attorney’s fees incurred unless there is a recovery and our attorney’s fees come solely from the monetary award that you recover.