The operator of a retirement facility in Columbus, Georgia, will have to pay a receptionist $78,000 to settle an age and disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Opportunity Commission. ‘job.
Shirley Noble was 78 years old when she was fired from her job at Covenant Woods Senior Living in February 2022 – a month after she was honored as 2021 Employee of the Year – according to a lawsuit filed by the agency before a federal court.
Noble, who had worked for Covenant for 14 years, returned to work after a brief hospitalization to find a new, younger employee sitting at his desk, the EEOC alleged. In a meeting with her manager the next day, Noble was questioned about whether she should continue working and how long she saw herself continuing in the job market, according to the complaint.
Noble expressed a desire to continue working for two or three more years, but the next day she was told she was being fired due to a loss of confidence in her abilities, with her hospitalization cited as a concern that led to the decision, the EEOC alleged.
“Employers have a responsibility to evaluate an employee’s performance without regard to age, whether the employee is 40 years of age or older, and without regard to actual or perceived disability,” said Marcus Keegan, District Attorney for EEOC Atlanta District Office, in a statement. Tuesday.
Covenant Woods is owned by Chattanooga, Tenn.-based BrightSpace Senior Living, which operates a handful of retirement communities in four states.
“At Covenant Woods and BrightSpace Senior Living, we resolved this case due to the cost of litigation,” Brian Hendricks, BrightSpace’s chief financial officer, said in a statement. “We do not admit any wrongdoing or discriminatory conduct as part of this resolution. Covenant Woods and BrightSpace Senior Living remain committed to complying with all discrimination and labor and employment laws.”
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