EEOC Sues Surfside Realty for Age Discrimination

FLORENCE, S.C. – Surfside Realty Co., Inc., which manages vacation rental properties and homeowner associations throughout coastal South Carolina, violated federal law when it fired a long-term employee because of her age, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed Friday.

According to the EEOC’s complaint, the 81-year-old employee had worked for Surfside for over 25 years when she was discharged and replaced by a much younger person. Prior to firing her, Surfside repeatedly talked to her about her retirement, even though she made it clear that she planned to continue working until she was no longer able to perform her job duties. The EEOC said that she was never disciplined for poor performance and that after she was fired, Surfside told clients that she had “retired” following a “stellar career.”

Such alleged conduct violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which protects employees from workplace discrimination based on age. The EEOC filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Florence Division (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Surfside Realty Co., Inc., Civil Action No. 4:21-cv-00139) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its voluntary conciliation process. The EEOC seeks monetary relief for the employee, including back pay and liquidated damages, as well as reinstatement and injunctive relief.

“Many employers continue to stereotype older Americans based on outdated assumptions about age and work,” said Melinda Dugas, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Charlotte District. “The ADEA protects individuals 40 and older from adverse employment actions based on age so that they can continue to be productive members of the workforce, and the EEOC is proud to enforce that law.”

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.