EEOC Sues N.Y. Fire Districts for Age Discrimination

According to the EEOC’s suit, the North Syracuse Fire Department, the Cicero Fire Department, Clay Volunteer Fire Department and the Moyers Corner Fire Department refused to let volunteer firefighters over age 60 or 62, depending on the department, accrue credit toward a “length of service award,” the equivalent of a retirement pension, because of their age.  

The EEOC seeks a ruling that the three localities and departments violated the law by refusing to allow firefighters to earn service credit and refusing to pay firefighters’ lost benefits. The EEOC additionally asks the court to award affected firefighters lost pension credit and an appropriate service award plus interest, and other monetary restitution, including an award equal to the service award, as liquidated damages.  

The EEOC has found similar discrimination in other fire departments across the state (see “Another Fire District Settles Pension ADEA Claim”).