
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 20, 1995                   TAG: 9505220079
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

AGE-BIAS LAWSUIT IS SETTLED

A man who was denied a job as a Roanoke County police officer at age 49 has settled his age discrimination suit against the police department for $15,000 and a promise by the county not to discriminate.

James L. Phillips applied to the Roanoke County Police Department three years ago but was not hired.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which sued the county on Phillips' behalf, said 10 of the 20 officers hired during the year Phillips' application was viable were substantially less qualified. Many of them were in their 20s with little or no police experience.

Phillips worked for a year as a police officer in Vinton and a year in Buchanan, as well as serving as a Roanoke auxiliary police officer for 191/2 years. Auxiliary police officers, which the city no longer uses, helped keep order at public events.

In the lawsuit, filed in April 1994, the EEOC alleged that county police were violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Rather than proceed with the lawsuit, both sides agreed to settle.

Without admitting guilt, the Police Department agreed not to discriminate against any employees or applicants who allege that the department is violating the age discrimination law. The department also must post notices about the law.

The county must pay Phillips the $15,000 within 30 days.

by CNB