U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
- Home
- About EEOC
- Overview
- The Commission
- Meetings of the Commission
- Open Government
- Newsroom
- Laws, Regulations, Guidance & MOUs
- Budget & Performance
- Enforcement & Litigation
- Initiatives
- Publications
- Statistics
- Outreach & Education
- Legislative Affairs
- FOIA & Privacy Act
- Doing Business with EEOC
- Jobs & Internships
- EEOC History
- Office of Inspector General
- Employees & Applicants
- Employers
- Overview
- Coverage
- Charge Handling
- Resolving a Charge
- Remedies
- Discrimination by Type
- Age
- Disability
- Equal Compensation
- Genetic Information
- National Origin
- Pregnancy
- Race/Color
- Religion
- Retaliation
- Sex
- Sexual Harassment
- Prohibited Practices
- Recordkeeping
- EEO Reports/Surveys
- "EEO Is The Law" Poster
- Training
- Other Employment Issues
- Federal Agencies
- Overview
- Federal Employees & Applicants
- Federal EEO Coordination
- Federal Agency EEO Directors
- Laws, Regulations, Guidance & MOUs
- Management Directives & Federal Sector Guidance
- Federal Sector Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Federal Sector Reports
- Appellate Decisions
- Digest of EEO Law
- Form 462 Reporting
- Federal Training & Outreach
- Contact Us
PRESS RELEASE
9-28-11
Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 Charged With Age Discrimination
Retirement Plan Discriminated against Older Workers, EEOC Alleges in Lawsuit
PHOENIX -- Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 discriminated on the basis of age when it applied an early retirement incentive plan which granted greater economic benefits to younger employees based upon their age, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.
The EEOC’s lawsuit, EEOC v. Tempe Elementary School District No. 3, (CV 11-01909- PHX-DGC) filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in Phoenix, alleges that the school district maintained an early retirement incentive plan that was unlawful. Specifically, the EEOC charges that the school district’s plan is discriminatory because it grants more favorable benefits to younger employees based on their age. Under the school district’s retirement plan, employees are reimbursed for accumulated leave based on their age at retirement, with those retiring at a younger age being treated more favorably than those who retire after age 60.
Such alleged conduct violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits state and local governments, as well as private employers, from discriminating against individuals aged 40 and older in terms, conditions, and privileges of employment—including retirement programs-- because of their age.
The EEOC filed suit after exhausting its conciliation efforts to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement. The agency is seeking monetary relief including the amount of money a retiree should have received but for the discrimination with prejudgment interest. The Commission is also seeking an injunction prohibiting future discrimination to prevent Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 from engaging in further practices that discriminate on the basis of age.
“Early retirement incentive plans which discriminate on their face based upon age are illegal and need to be changed,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill. “People in their ‘60s should not be penalized merely because they want to continue working.”
Rayford O. Irvin, District Director of the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office, added, “The Age Discrimination in Employment Act was enacted to eliminate discrimination based on age. With more people working longer and delaying retirement, we will actively protect the rights of people over 40 to be free from this type of discrimination.”
EEOC’s Phoenix District Office has jurisdiction over Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and part of New Mexico (including Albuquerque).
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.