PHILADELPHIA – A New Hope man is suing a property management company over claims of age discrimination.
Philip Monahan filed a lawsuit Jan. 11 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Continental Property Management, alleging violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
The suit states the defendant hired Monahan, 70 at the time of the suit filing, to be a property manager in September 2001. On Sept. 17, 2013, the defendant's owner, Edward Stevens, changed the company's retirement policy to require the mandatory retirement age of permanent, full-time employees to be 68. The policy also stated that the company may offer certain 68-year-old employees a year-long extension with their schedule reduced to a maximum of three days, 23 hours per week.
On Nov. 5, 2013, one week before Monahan's 68th birthday, Stevens issued him a letter reducing his schedule to a maximum of 23 hours per week. Monahan allegedly remained on that reduced schedule for approximately nine months before the new policy was revoked and he was returned to full-time employment.
The suit states Monahan was forced to be converted to a part-time employee based on a policy that specifically discriminated against him because of his age.
Monahan seeks compensation, liquidated damages, attorney fees, and other costs of the suit. He is represented by attorney Ari R. Karpf of Karpf Karpf & Cerutti in Bensalem.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:16-CV-00107-JP