Industry Notes:
Hawaii HHA Slapped With Age Discrimination Suit
Published on Wed Sep 08, 2010
Lawsuits from employees don't just come in the false claims or wage and hour varieties. Case in point: The U.S. Equal Employ-ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed an age discrimination lawsuit against Hawaii Healthcare Professionals Inc., also known as Hawaii Professional HomeCare Services Inc., a Honolulu-based home care company that serves Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. The EEOC says owner Carolyn Frutoz-de Harne ordered the termination of a then-54-year-old office coordinator from its Maui facility in February 2008, according to The Maui News. Despite reports that the office coordinator was a thorough and efficient worker, the EEOC charges that the owner made disparaging remarks about her indicating that she "looked old," "like a bag of bones," and that she "sounds old on the telephone," according to an EEOC release. The EEOC filed suit in federal court after failing to reach a pre-litigation settlement, it says. It seeks back pay and damages [...]