Legal Question in Employment Law in Tennessee

I am a 52 year old female. I was laid off in January 2010 by my employer of nine years after a new owner took control. He promised the tenured employees job security and relied on me and others with the transistion. After the take over, he proceeded to lay off every older employee, including me. I had began college for the first time in May, 2009. The new owner would tease and joke with me about going to school so late in life. Then, he began taking away my job duties all the while saying he was trying to take the pressure off me to attend school. That was a lie. Since then, I have heard from fellow ex-coworkers he is spreading horrible lies about me saying I was a "loose cannon" and could not be trusted. I had worked for this company for a long time through many, many changes and was always loyal to the company. Along with making the last year I worked there unbearable (the worst toxic envrionment you can imagine) I have had to endure name calling and false acusations from this former employer.

Do I have any recourse??? He hired new employees that were younger and all were drawing unemployment when he hired them. Wasn't there a tax credit for employers to do that last year? I was only making $40,000 a year so it's not like I was a major expense to the company. I was the customer service manager/inventory control/dispatch manager and paperwork administrator. Do I have any legal recourse against an employer that destroyed my character that took me 20 years in the industry to build???


Asked on 8/02/10, 9:59 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

James R. Becker, Jr. Becker Law Firm

If the individual hired to replace you was substantially younger than you, the short answer is yes, you may have a claim under the laws prohibiting age discrimination. You should consult with an attorney to find out more about your rights and the strength of any claim you may have.

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Answered on 8/09/10, 9:23 am


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