Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Incorporated Village of Valley Stream

**EEOC Wins Age Discrimination Case Against Village Fire Department** This case involved volunteer firefighters in Valley Stream, New York, who were being treated unfairly because of their age. The village had a policy that prevented volunteer firefighters who were 65 years old or older from earning service credits that counted toward their retirement benefits. Younger volunteers could continue building up these credits, but once someone turned 65, they were cut off from this benefit even though they continued doing the same work. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued the village, claiming this policy violated federal age discrimination laws. The court agreed completely with the EEOC and ruled against Valley Stream. The judge found that the village's age-based policy clearly broke the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The village tried several defenses, including arguing that the lawsuit was filed too late and that volunteers aren't really employees, but the court rejected all of these arguments. This ruling matters because it shows that age discrimination protections can extend beyond traditional employees to include volunteers who receive benefits. Workers should know that being treated differently because of age—even in volunteer roles with benefits—may be illegal under federal law.