No Skype or Social Media Graces: Age Discrimination
Her lack of familiarity with Skype and social media showed her age, a colleague noted about the plaintiff in the matter Payne v. British Embassy Washington DC. This remark formed the basis for her claim of age discrimination when she was dismissed from her employment. On May 24, 2019, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia found the allegation insufficient and dismissed this claim which requires age to be the cause of, or related to, the dismissal.
Other allegations survived this stage of the litigation, and the plaintiff may pursue her claim for an improperly entered observation in her personnel file, for instance, that she managed well the otherwise burdensome absences from the office to care for a family member with special health needs.
Among other things, the court's reasoning explains the danger of innocent or superfluous remarks, notes and observations which can cause an employer tremendous expense in defending claims, participating in the exchange of evidence during the discovery process, and possibly damages.
Fri, / Embassy Law Link