Plaintiff Did Not Show Pretext of Age Discrimination
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania granted summary judgment in favor of MBM’s School District client in an age discrimination case. The court found that the School District provided a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for not hiring the plaintiff, a former district day-to-day substitute teacher age 52, for a permanent full-time teaching position.
MBM’s defense team successfully argued that the plaintiff’s case relied on “unsupported assertions, speculation, and conclusory allegations” rather than concrete evidence of age discrimination. The court agreed there was no basis for a reasonable jury to find the School District’s hiring decision was motivated by age bias.
MBM’s main legal defense was the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework for analyzing employment discrimination claims. The School District met this burden by providing a legitimate reason; that they hired a younger long-term substitute teacher who had been serving in the role for 1.5 years, knew the curriculum and staff, and had received positive reviews. In contrast, the plaintiff had never taught the specific grade or worked as a long-term substitute at that particular school.
As a trial lawyer and litigator for 30 years, Steven Engel has prosecuted and defended hundreds of lawsuits. His area of specialization is in Construction Law and works with contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and owners in construction-related matters. Engel is the Director of MBM’s Litigation Department.