This blog post has been edited. It was originally posted on Nov. 19, 2014. Facts of this case may have developed or changed since the original post date. Settlements/verdicts may have been reached or are in progress.
A former Twitter employee has filed an age-discrimination lawsuit against the social media giant, claiming he was replaced by people in their 20s and 30s. The 57-year-old former data center deployment manager says that he attempted to resolve the issue with Twitter before filing the lawsuit.
Firing Details
Lawsuit documents say that Peter Taylor was fired last year without warning, despite the fact that he saved the company millions during its data center expansion and had met all performance review standards. A month prior to his firing, the former employee underwent surgery to remove kidney stones. The suit also claims that Twitter refused to accommodate his needs after his surgery and assigned him additional work during the recovery process.
Age Discrimination Laws
According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), when an employer treats someone less fairly due to their age, they may be guilty of age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The ADEA only protects employees over the age of 40, although some states have laws that protect younger employees as well. The EEOC reports that there were 21,396 reports of age discrimination in 2013. Almost 33 percent of those reported were found to be valid claims of age discrimination. In many cases, the employers were not only charged under the law, but also faced civil lawsuits against the company who allegedly practiced age discrimination against employees.
Twitter Response
Twitter says that it will fight the lawsuit, claiming it is without merit and promises a vigorous defense. Attorneys for Mr. Taylor, however, say that his supervisor made at least one critical remark about Mr. Taylor’s age during his termination meeting. In addition to claiming that he was discriminated against due to his age, the lawsuit also contends that his medical condition, which required surgery in May and August 2013, as well as multiple doctor visits, was another reason for his termination. Documents say that he was unable to put in the long hours expected by Twitter and that the company had refused to provide him any assistance during his recovery.
When an employer treats someone differently due to age, race or other factors, a discrimination lawsuit may be in order. Contact Dallas-Fort Worth lawyers at Frenkel & Frenkel to schedule a free initial consultation regarding unfair treatment in the workplace related to age, race, sex or other factors protected under the law.
