Bobby Dodd Institute to Pay $40,000 to Settle  EEOC Age Discrimination Suit 

Federal Agency Charged Institute Revoked Job Offers Because of Age

ATLANTA - Bobby Dodd Institute, Inc. of Atlanta, an organization that provides employment opportunities to disabled individuals, will pay $40,000 and furnish other relief to settle an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's suit, two women, each over 70 years of age, applied for a shared mail clerk position in Atlanta and were extended job offers by the company. However, after their respective ages were revealed to the company's CEO, the job offers were revoked one day before their scheduled start date. Further, the agency charged that shortly after preventing the older applicants from starting work, the company hired two younger individuals to fill the position.

Such alleged conduct violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits employers from subjecting individuals to discrimination due to age. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The consent decree settling the suit, in addition to the monetary relief, includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training, reporting and posting of anti-discrimination notices. In the lawsuit and consent decree, Bobby Dodd Institute denied any liability or wrongdoing.

"The workforce includes many people who suffer discrimination because of their age, and the EEOC is committed to debunking discriminatory stereotypes that affect older workers," said Robert Dawkins, regional attorney for the EEOC's Atlanta District Office. "These rejected applicants were prepared to provide a positive contribution to the employer's operation, but never got the opportunity."

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.