A long-term care (LTC) facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, agreed to pay $75,000 to settle an age discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced on February 27, 2026.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a supervisor harassed and mocked older workers in the facility’s laundry department because of their ages and treated them less favorably than younger workers. Older workers complained about this treatment multiple times to management, but their complaints were ignored. The harassment ultimately culminated with the facility firing at least two workers in August 2022 after they continued to complain, the EEOC said.
The alleged conduct violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination and harassment based on age and retaliation for complaining about discrimination.
In addition to providing $75,000 in damages to two workers, the three-year consent decree requires the LTC to provide letters of apology and reference to the affected workers. The decree also requires the facility to hire an outside consultant to assist with revising and updating its anti-discrimination policies, provide comprehensive anti-discrimination training to employees, and report its training, complaints, and policy modifications to the EEOC.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Age discrimination involves treating an applicant or employee less favorably because of age. The ADEA prohibits employment discrimination against individuals who are 40 years of age or older. The law applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, termination, compensation, job assignments, promotions, training, and other terms and conditions of employment. Age-based harassment is also prohibited when it becomes severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment or results in an adverse employment action. Federal equal employment opportunity laws further prohibit retaliation against individuals who raise concerns or participate in investigations related to discrimination.
Discussion Points
- Review employment policies and procedures to ensure they clearly prohibit age discrimination and retaliation and outline effective reporting and investigation processes. Policies should be easily accessible to all staff and consistently enforced. Organizations may benefit from periodic policy reviews conducted in collaboration with a qualified compliance or regulatory consultant to help identify gaps, align policies with current legal requirements, and strengthen internal controls.
- Provide comprehensive training to employees on what constitutes age discrimination and retaliation, how to recognize prohibited conduct, and how to report concerns. Supervisors and managers should receive additional instruction on responding to complaints and preventing retaliation. Training should begin at onboarding and be reinforced regularly. Med-Net Academy offers the course Age Discrimination, which reviews a case study involving violations of both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the ADEA. The course outlines the consequences of noncompliance and provides best practices for preventing and addressing age discrimination in the workplace.
- Conduct periodic audits to evaluate whether anti-discrimination policies are being implemented effectively in practice. This may include reviewing disciplinary actions, termination decisions, complaint investigations, and patterns that could indicate disparate treatment. Anonymous employee surveys can also help assess workplace culture and reporting confidence. Some organizations engage an external reviewer to perform mock assessments or focused compliance reviews to proactively identify risks, recommend corrective actions, and support regulatory compliance.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, Inc. for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*