PITTSBURGH – A law enforcement officer alleges his age was a factor in his demotion and suspension by a university's police department.
Alcuin Mitchell filed a complaint on May 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against the University of Pittsburgh citing the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff became employed with the defendant's police department in 1979 as a security guard and was promoted to sergeant in 2007.
The suit states the plaintiff responded to a call of a suspicious person on Feb. 18, 2018, ultimately determined that the individual was not a suspect and chose not to engage the person or make an arrest. The plaintiff alleges he was scolded by the police chief for exercising his discretion.
The suit states the plaintiff's name was removed from the promotion list for lieutenant because of the incident and he was suspended without pay through March 2018. The suit states the plaintiff was demoted after serving his suspension and he was 59 at the time.
The plaintiff alleges he was discriminated against because of his age.
The plaintiff is seeking all reasonable sums due, attorney fees and court costs. The plaintiff is represented by Alec B. Wright of The Law Offices of Timothy P. O'Brien in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania case number 2:19-CV-00525