News Notes: Poor Performance Review Leads to $517,000 Age Discrimination Verdict

A 56-year-old facilities coordinator who claimed her performance review was downgraded to justify her termination has been awarded $517,077 in damages. Dion Woodward sued Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Los Angeles for age discrimination after she was fired and allegedly replaced with a 38-year-old. Woodward worked for Kaiser for 31 years and claimed she always received positive reviews. But a supervisor testified that management ordered her to downgrade Woodward’s last review before she was discharged. Kaiser contended Woodward was let go as part of a legitimate reduction in force and denied her age discrimination allegations.