The Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld a discrimination award to a man who had worked as a firefighter in Hull but says he was not allowed back to work after an injury. Donald A. Gillis injured his neck when he fell off a truck in 1985.
He was 58 when asked for his job back in 1994. Now at 72, Gillis is too old to work as a firefighter per Massachusetts state law. The mandatory retirement age for Massachusetts firefighters is 65.
In 2000, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination awarded Gillis $174,318.75 in lost wages, damages for emotional distress, and legal fees. The town of Hull appealed that decision, which the appeal court upheld earlier this month. A lawyer for the town of Hull said it plans to appeal the judgment again.
Fireman who tried to keep job wins in court; town to appeal, Hull Times, September 11, 2008 Continue reading