DENVER – Bellco CU agreed to pay $57,250 to a former teller to settle an age discrimination suit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just before a scheduled start of a jury trial in the suit.
Under the settlement, the credit union will pay Frances Cruz $57,250, which includes $28,625 in back pay and $28,625 in liquidated damages, but continues to deny the charges and says it followed the law.
“Bellco has in place a very strong policy prohibiting age discrimination, LeeAnn Downey, Bellco’s vice president of human resources, said in a statement. “We are proud of our commitment to equality, and appreciate the efforts of the EEOC staff in working with us to conclude this matter.”
“We think it’s in the best interests of our members and employees to put this matter behind us,” she said.
The EEOC filed the suit in 2006 over the 2003 firing of Cruz, who was then 61, according to court documents.
Cruz had worked for the credit union for seven years and received excellent yearly reviews, according to the suit. In 2003, she received two “exceeds standards” performance reviews, and she was nominated for a President’s Club award in 2002.
The EEOC complaint alleged that in the year before Cruz was fired, four Bellco managers had been told to “get rid of Cruz” and other older employees.
But Bellco argued that Cruz had repeatedly violated Bellco’s policies and procedures, and had been warned that she could lose her job if she made further mistakes. In the end, she was fired for failing to follow check-handling procedures, according to the court record.
