Six File Age Discrimination Complaint against University

Portland, METhere is no place in a just society for discrimination of any kind, be it racial, sexual, or otherwise. Age discrimination is especially frustrating to those with a wealth of experience and a willingness to contribute, but who are deemed inappropriate according to allegedly indefensible criteria.

The Portland Press Herald reported on November 30 that six former employees of the University of Southern Maine (USM) allege job loss due to age discrimination. The university, which recently completed a consolidation of its student services, denies the allegations.

According to the Portland Press Herald, all six former employees range in age from 55 to 65 and have significant experience in their respective fields. Among them is Senator Larry Bliss, a Democrat from South Portland, who has joined the other five in filing age discrimination complaints with USM and the Maine Human Rights Commission.

It was back in July that USM announced it was combining its three offices into one entity. The goal of the consolidation, as stated, was to provide improved and more comprehensive counseling services at one-stop ''student success centers'' on the university's three campuses.

At the time, USM claimed that the consolidation would not result in significant staff reduction or cost savings. In the end, 21 people were shown the door, but were promised that they could apply for 19 new positions available at the three campuses in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston.

Bliss, 62, said he and his former colleagues were employees in good standing with excellent performance evaluations.

''It's extremely clear that this was a process to get rid of some people,'' he said. ''They took six people who were over 50 and said, 'we don't want you to be part of this anymore. Goodbye.'''

He claims they were given short shrift in an interview process designed to weed them out. Each of the six received severance pay based on length of service, as stipulated in union contracts, plus six months' salary in lieu of sufficient notice of termination, Bliss said.

University officials are saying little about the hiring process or the former employees while the matter is in dispute. Robert Caswell, spokesman for USM, says that the university underwent a fair and open hiring process "that was done with oversight from the human resources department to make sure it complied with employee contracts.''

Six adviser positions have been left unfilled until the issue is resolved.