City Worker Wins $500,000 in Age Bias Lawsuit

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A man who claimed that New Haven Public Works supervisors refused to hire him because he's too old was awarded $500,000 by a jury.

Casper Vollero Jr., 63, of North Haven filed the lawsuit four years ago [New Haven Independent] when he was turned down for a job as a laborer. Vollero, who is white, also claimed race discrimination.

City spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga called the verdict ``an egregious ruling.''

``We do not agree with the judgment, and we believe the amount is excessive. We will appeal the decision,'' Mayorga said.

Defendants in the case were Richard Miller, the New Haven city engineer, who previously was also director of Public Works, and Public Works supervisors Charles Redd and Richard Christiansen.

READ: More on Connecticut's anti-discrimination protection

Vollero has had a job with the New Haven Parks and Recreation Department since 2000, his lawyer Diane Polan said.

She said Vollero had been cutting tree branches and driving trucks. However, when he applied for a job as a laborer, which paid more, he was turned down.

Polan claimed Christiansen ridiculed Vollero. She alleged Christiansen and Redd recommended Vollero not be hired.

As for the racial discrimination claims, Polan said there is a quota system.

``The jury found that Mr. Vollero was the victim of illegal race discrimination because the Public Works Department maintained an unwritten quota system, in which one-third of the jobs went to white applicants, one-third went to black applicants and one-third went to Hispanic applicants,'' Polan said.

Rob Smuts, Mayor John DeStefano Jr.'s chief operating officer, disputed the claim of racial discrimination.

``We do not have a quota system, either written or informal. It's not something we do as a city,'' Smuts said. ``I like our chances on appeal. There's not much merit to the claim.''