California School District Settles Age Discrimination Case

The Washington Unified School District in Fresno, Calif. settled a federal charge of firing a 65-year-old teacher.

The age discrimination charge was filed in April 2022 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that the employee was denied reasonable accommodation, subjected to different terms and conditions of employment, and finally discharged because of age and disability.

The EEOC said it investigated the allegations and found reasonable cause to believe the Washington Unified School District violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), when it denied equal terms and conditions of employment and discharged a math teacher due to the employee’s age.

Without admitting liability, the school district entered into a conciliation agreement with the EEOC. The district agreed to pay $17,000 to the impacted individual, provide a neutral letter of reference, and provide training to supervisors and managers on the ADEA and complaint handling. Additionally, the school district will post a notice to all employees about the resolution of this charge and their rights under federal anti-discrimination law.