Jet Propulsion Lab to pay $10M to settle age bias suit

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has agreed to pay $10 million to settle an age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency said Wednesday.

The EEOC said in an announcement that Pasadena, California-based JPL, a federally funded research and development center that operates at a facility owned by NASA, systematically laid off employees over the age of 40 in favor of retaining younger employees, in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

The EEOC also said older employees were passed over for rehire in favor of less-qualified younger employees

The EEOC said in addition to providing monetary relief to dozens of older employees, under a three-year consent decree, JPL has agreed to retain an equal employment opportunity monitor, a diversity director and a layoff coordinator to monitor compliance with the ADEA and the decree, among other provisions of the agreement. 

Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles district, said in a statement she commends JPL “for already making proactive efforts to implement much of the injunctive relief, and for taking measures that will have a positive impact on older employees.”

A JPL spokeswoman said JPL issued this statement upon resolution of the lawsuit in April: “We are pleased to have worked collaboratively with the EEOC on a resolution to bring the matter to a close.

“The Lab has a longstanding commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace, free of discrimination. JPL is stronger because of our diversity and we value all our colleagues at every stage of their career.”

The EEOC said in April that Baltimore County would pay about $5.4 million to more than 2,000 county employees to resolve a 13-year-old age discrimination lawsuit filed against it by the agency.