2012
Lawsuit: Woman unfairly fired based on age, race
Discrimination has no place at work. However, there are still employers who try and get away with allowing a worker to be fired or treated differently based on their age, race, gender or disability. It is important to remember that these workers are protected from unfair discrimination on the job. Even if an employer never mentions that a certain quality is the reason for a firing or demotion, an employee can still pursue a discrimination claim in California.
Many victims of age or race discrimination may not think that they can take legal action against an employer or co-worker if the discrimination is subtle or difficult to prove. However, with the help of an attorney, this unfair and illegal behavior can be uncovered. In such a difficult economical time, employees need to be proactive in protecting their employment and financial stability.
Recently, a woman fired back at an employer who she says unfairly terminated her based on her race and age. The 40-year-old black woman had been working at a university for four years when she learned she was being replaced by a much younger, white woman.
According to her claim, the woman had also been subjected to verbal harassment on the job. She says a co-worker would repeatedly harass her based on the fact that she was the department’s only black employee. After reporting the harassment to her boss, the woman says her complaint was dismissed and the boss told her not to talk to Human Resources about it.
After being fired, the woman also claims the university prevented her from getting another job. The financial and emotional toll that the entire debacle had on the woman has been devastating. She filed a lawsuit requesting that the university rehire her and compensate her for back pay, benefits and damages related to her emotional distress.
Source: SFGate, “UTC worker lawsuit claims race, age discrimination,” Nov. 2, 2012
