AT&T Pays Up in Age Discrimination Case

AT&T has settled an age-discrimination lawsuit involving a Kansas City, Mo.-area woman for $250,000.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pursued the case after AT&T fired 53-year-old Terry Pierce in 2008. Pierce was let go after 16 years as a sales coach manager, but the EEOC says the carrier kept younger people in the same positions with less experience or allowed them to change offices. Pierce worked at AT&T’s Lee’s Summit, Mo., office before getting the ax.

The EEOC seemed satisfied with the outcome.

Age discrimination is a serious problem, especially in times of economic downturn,” said an attorney with the EEOC’s St. Louis office, as quoted by Fox4kc.com. Not only do victims of age bias lose their jobs unjustly, they often are unable to find new jobs for the same reason.”

Beyond the $250,000, AT&T said it would reaffirm its commitment to fighting discrimination and offer more training in this area to its managers.

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