PHILADELPHIA - A former employee accused the City of Philadelphia of age discrimination in federal court.
Plaintiff Leonard Zebrowski filed the complaint on April 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Zebrowski, 63, worked for the defendants Philadelphia and Futurenet in the computers department.
The plaintiff, who suffers from COPD and PTSD, says he began to experience disparate age-related treatment 10 years into his employ with the city. He says his supervisor referred to him as "aging equipment," "the roadblock to the department's advancement" and "a problem in the corner."
Zebrowski also alleges that his supervisor outright threatened to terminate him due to his age. He says the defendant retaliated with more discriminatory treatment when he voiced his complaints and passed over him for younger employees for several management positions.
The plaintiff says that the city ultimately terminated him due to his age and assumed incapability of keeping up with modern technology.
The defendants are charged with wrongful termination, age discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation, disparate treatment, Americans with Disabilities Act violations, and discrimination violations under state law.
The plaintiff is represented by Derek Smith law Group LLC of Philadelphia.