Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. County of Allegheny

**Age Limits for Police Jobs Ruled Illegal** The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Allegheny County in Pennsylvania over the county's policy of refusing to hire police officers who were older than 35. Three individuals who were denied jobs because of this age requirement joined the case as plaintiffs. The federal court ruled in favor of the EEOC and the individual plaintiffs. The judge found that Allegheny County's age limit violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which protects workers from unfair treatment based on their age. The court ordered the county to stop using this discriminatory hiring policy immediately. Additionally, the three people who were originally denied jobs because of their age must be allowed to take the police examination and be considered for employment if they meet all other qualifications. This ruling is important for workers because it reinforces that employers generally cannot set arbitrary age limits for jobs. While some positions may have legitimate age requirements for safety reasons, employers must prove these limits are truly necessary. Workers over 40 are specifically protected from age discrimination in hiring, firing, and other employment decisions under federal law.