Former Football Coach Files Claim for Age and Sex Discrimination

A former football coach from Fort Valley University in Fort Valley, Georgia, has filed a claim against the University of Georgia Board of Regents, as well as three university officials for alleged age and sex discrimination, resulting in his wrongful termination.

According to the complaint, the coach was fired following an investigation of potential NCAA violations. However, at the conclusion of the investigation, the NCAA cleared the coach of wrongdoing. Despite this, he was denied the opportunity to defend himself, and the university upheld his termination, the complaint asserts. The lawsuit also alleges that the coach was treated differently – and disfavorably – as compared to younger employees and a similarly situated female co-worker. He contends that the female co-worker was promoted, and that younger coaches who had proven NCAA violations were retained.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects against sex discrimination. This includes employers taking a worker’s gender into consideration when making any type of employment decision, including hiring, firing, and promoting. Although Title VII was initially enacted to protect women from being treated less favorably than men, courts have interpreted it to apply to any type of discrimination based on gender. When males are discriminated against in favor of females, it is often called “reverse discrimination.” Further, recent case law has found that sex discrimination includes sexual orientation discrimination. Similarly, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), makes it illegal for certain employers to discriminate against workers over the age of forty.

The university has not commented on this case.

For more information or if you believe that you have suffered any form of age employment or sex discrimination please contact our lawyers at Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP for an immediate case evaluation.