Ocean City, N.J., a municipality of 12,000 residents, has recently been coping with nine lawsuits filed by municipal workers. Among them: lifeguards aged 66 and 68 who alleged employment discrimination against them based on their age. [Douglas Bergen, Ocean City Patch via AnnMarie McDonald, New Jersey Lawsuit Abuse Watch; Press of Atlantic City].
2 Comments
When I saw WO’s headline, I thought the lawsuit was against an arbitrary 65-year retirement age. But it is much worse– the plaintiff demands exemption from a physical fitness test.
The exemption was part of a tiered process that was aleady in place. That system was changed possibly as a result of ethics complaints made by the 65 year old against the fire chief. That is part of the contention of the lawsuit. The elder lifeguard did pass the rookie test …. so he seems to meet certain qualifications. It appears he received a run-around to start working again.