City of Milpitas Sued Over Hiring Practices

A lawsuit was filed Monday against the City of Milpitas alleging age discrimination in its hiring practices against four people.

The suit filed in U.S. District Court by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accuses the city of violating federal law by hiring a 39-year-old candidate, who was less qualified than four older applicants ages 55, 42, 56, and 58 vying to become an executive secretary to the city manager.

The younger candidate scored less in rankings than the older applicants during a three-person panel assessment of the candidates, according to the commission.

The commission alleges the city’s decision violated the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which protects people 40 years or older from being passed over in hiring decisions based solely on their age.

The suit seeks monetary damages for the four applicants and injunctive relief to prevent future age discrimination hires in the city, commission officials said.

“Older workers continue to face discrimination based on age due to negative stereotypes and inaccurate assumptions about their abilities,” EEOC San Francisco acting Regional Attorney Jonathan Peck said in a statement.

“Age discrimination remains a problem, making up 23 percent of all EEOC charges filed in the United States last year,” EEOC San Francisco District Director William Tamayo said in a statement.

“It is important that employers not ignore the value that older workers can bring to their work force,” Tamayo said.

Requests for comment from Milpitas city officials were not immediately returned.

--Bay City News