EEOC Sues State of Kansas for Age Discrimination

Kansas Health Department Denied Promotion to Experienced Employee Due to Age

KANSAS CITY, Kan.–The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) violated federal law when it denied a promotion to an employee because of her age, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s suit, KDHE passed over a seasoned employee for a Laboratory Technician II position because of her age. Despite her superior qualifications, experience and time at the department, the state instead appointed a younger, less qualified employee. The EEOC’s complaint alleged KDHE appointed the employee to the position without posting the job opening or inviting applicants.

Such alleged conduct violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits discrimination against individuals 40 or older because of age. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. State of Kansas, ex. rel. Secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Case No. 2:25-cv-02327) in U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

“Age-based stereotypes and assumptions do not belong in the workplace,” said Andrea G. Baran, regional attorney for the EEOC’s St. Louis District Office. “Federal law protects older workers from discrimination based on age.”

David S. Davis, director of the EEOC’s St. Louis District office, said, “The EEOC is committed to protecting civil rights and ensuring individual, merit-based employment opportunities for all American workers, including older workers.”

For more information on age discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/age-discrimination.

The EEOC’s St. Louis District Office is responsible for addressing discrimination charges and conducting agency litigation in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and a portion of southern Illinois.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.