Longtime Phila. Senior Center executive claims firing was age related

A near 30-year employee of the Philadelphia Senior Center who throughout her tenure

held various high-level posts with the agency has filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the nonprofit over claims that her employment was terminated for pretextual reasons.

Victoria M. Lynam, who resides in East Lansdowne, Delaware County, alleges that she was fired from her job in late November of last year because of her age, not due to the defendant’s proffered reason of unsatisfactory job performance.

Lynam, who is now 55 years old, was first hired by the center back in 1984.

During the course of her 28-year employment, the plaintiff held several executive-level positions, including that of director, chief operating officer and director of administrative services, the complaint shows.

The center entered into a contractual affiliation agreement with New Courtland Senior Centers, a co-defendant in the suit, in the summer of 2009.

Lynam at first continued to receive excellent job performance reviews, the complaint states, but she received a verbal warning in August 2012 that her job performance was becoming unsatisfactory.

The plaintiff was then made to participate in a job performance program, which Lynam claims constituted an adverse employment action as a pretext for age discrimination.

“Indeed, the alleged deficiencies in Lynam’s job performance were not her fault, but rather were known by defendants to be the direct result of understaffing which was beyond Lynam’s control,” the lawsuit states.

Despite what the suit calls the plaintiff’s best efforts to address the alleged performance deficiencies, “and notwithstanding the fact that her job performance remained excellent,” Lynam’s employment was terminated on Nov. 28 of last year.

The plaintiff’s duties were reassigned to a woman who is more than 10 years younger than Lynam, the suit alleges.

The defendants are accused of violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

Lynam seeks back pay and benefits, incidental expenses, reinstatement or front pay and benefits, liquidated damages, costs and attorney’s fees.

The suit was filed June 24 at the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia by Jenkintown, Pa. attorney Stanley B. Cheiken.

The federal case number is 2:13-cv-03596-PBT.