KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A federal lawsuit filed Friday accuses the University of Kansas Medical Center of discharging an employee who reported a department head’s age discrimination practices.
The lawsuit against the Kansas City, Kansas-based medical center was filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
It alleges that in 2014, the medical center’s associate vice chancellor for information resources advised managers within that department to focus on hiring younger people over older applicants.
The lawsuit says information technology help desk supervisor Jeffrey Thomas reported his concerns. The EEOC says the vice chancellor then reorganized the department to eliminate Thomas’ position.
Medical Center spokeswoman Kay Hawes declined comment on the case but says the university seeks to foster an environment where employees “feel comfortable and protected when speaking up and reporting complaints of discrimination.”
