Veteran nursing director terminated: age discrimination.(Woodhouse v. Magnolia Hospital - 92 F. 3d 248 - MS (1996))

WAS A 53-YEAR-OLD NURSE, SERVING AS DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS, THE OBJECT OF AGE DISCRIMINATION? A Federal Court answered this question with a resounding Yes! It found the nurse's employer guilty of age discrimination in violation of Federal law. The Court ordered the employer hospital to reinstate the nurse and awarded her substantial damages.

PEGGY WOODHOUSE HAD BEEN EMPLOYED BY MAGNOLIA HOSPITAL FOR A TOTAL OF TWENTY-THREE YEARS. Woodhouse, a registered nurse, served as Magnolia's Director of Admissions for fourteen years preceding her termination. In 1993. the hospital allegedly lost approximately $1.2 million in operating revenue. The Board of Trustees decided to eliminate sixty-one full-time positions based on the recommendation of the hospital administrative staff. The administrative …