Age Discrimination Lawsuit Settles For $50,000
Russell Hack, 73, a former road department worker for Dawes county, says he was forced to retire in 2006 due to his age. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") filed the age discrimination lawsuit against Dawes County after Hack made his allegations. Hack said his supervisor told him all employees older than 70 years of age were required to take a medical stress test. He further claimed that the supervisor said Hack should retire because he would fail the test. Hack planned to continue driving the county road grader until he turned 75. Under the terms of the settlement Dawes County will pay Hack $50,000 in lost wages, pension benefits and other damages.
According to a press release from the EEOC, Hack retired before taking the stress test, but senior trial attorney Michelle M. Robertson, said no other county road workers were required to submit to the test. The EEOC says the county never implemented the stress test policy after Hack retired. Hack was the only full-time employee in the department over the age of 70 at the time.
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