A dental practice business manager has settled with her former employer, a practice in Minnesota, over an age discrimination case. The manager secured a settlement of $54,000 in lost wages and damages, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
Kathleen Dahlstrom was terminated from her position as the business manager at Natural Dental in St. Paul in 2018. According to the department, the owner of the dental practice was allegedly making derogatory comments about Dahlstrom's age, for example saying that she was too old to learn new things.
The owner of the practice claimed that the dismissal was due to poor performance, despite having given the manager good reviews, and found a much younger replacement for the position. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights determined that the employer had violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act due to age discrimination against Dahlstrom.
In addition to monetary damages, the settlement calls upon the owner to create and implement antidiscrimination policies and for all staff to undergo antidiscrimination and antibias training.
