Teachers' age-bias lawsuit is settled

A federal judge on Monday ordered Alpine School District to pay $135,000 to two former teachers who the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asserted were passed over for jobs in favor of younger candidates.

"I hope this settlement is a wake-up call for other teachers who have been harassed because of their age," said Patricia Dixon, one of the teachers involved in the class action lawsuit. "They shouldn't have to take this lying down."

Dixon had been working for Alpine School District almost 20 years as a special education instructor when she applied for a regular-education teaching position at Geneva Elementary School in Orem. The school's principal, who had made public her preference for hiring "younger teachers," filled the four vacant positions with recent college graduates in their early 20s, said Valerie Meyer, a trial attorney for the EEOC.

Dixon will receive $50,000 as compensation for her run in with the school, she said. The other teacher, Sara Mead, who the EEOC say was denied tenure at Geneva Elementary because of her age, will receive $85,000.

Meyer said administrators interrupted former teacher Mead's class to ask her how old she was just weeks before making contract renewal decisions.

"Looking at the decision maker involved, it became clear that age was a factor in these cases," Meyer said.

Alpine School District Spokeswoman Rhonda Bromley said the principal involved has been disciplined.

"Alpine School District contends this was not a widespread issue," she said.

As part of the settlement, the district has agreed to reinstate Sara Mead beginning in the 2009-2010 school year. It will also provide age-discrimination education for teachers and administration.

E-mail: estuart@desnews.com