Former police officers in another state recently won a sizable discrimination case against the city that once employed them. The ex-police officers sued their former municipal employer, citing workplace discrimination relating to their age. The city must now pay the group of 29 ex-officers $1.5 million, which will be divided among them. Age-related discrimination is a problem in every part of the United States, including Florida. By complaining to lawmakers and filing appropriate lawsuits for age discrimination, the public can bring more awareness to this issue.
According to this recent complaint, the officers once were employed as police at the airport, public parks and municipal court offices. Later, their separate departments were combined under the umbrella of the larger city police system. At this time, they were given new ranks — supposedly according to their experience. However, the litigants claim that, when their departments were absorbed into the larger city police department, their ranks were not fairly assigned and that they were treated unfairly due to their ages.
The Texas court’s ruling, which awards the former officers a global settlement of $1.5 million, could be subject to further appeal — if the city decides to challenge the ruling. However, this will no doubt require further legal analysis. The city must decide if the cost of litigation is worth the risk associated with trying to get the ruling reversed and failing.
In Florida, where numerous individuals come to live out their golden years, the problem of workplace discrimination related to age is an ever present issue that is not likely to disappear anytime soon. Fortunately, though, any employee who finds him or herself the victim of age-related discrimination can seek justice in a court of law. Indeed, lost wages, lost opportunity and other forms of recovery are pursuable in such claims which — if successfully navigated — can help make the victims financially whole again.
Source: kvue.com, Austin to pay $1.5 million to former officers in discrimination settlement, No author, Feb. 11, 2014