A 63-year-old former Yale administrator at the Yale-New Haven Hospital is suing the University on the grounds of age discrimination, claiming that he was fired from his post after serving more than 30 years with the hospital and School of Medicine.
Martin Donovan, 63, the former director of finance for the Yale Medical Group, is seeking an unspecified amount in damages and claims that he was gradually forced out of his position despite maintaining “excellent” work, according to the Hartford Courant.
In his suit, Donovan claims that he had been asked spontaneously whether he was planning to retire in May 2010, and, even though he reaffirmed that he had no such plans, began to be “falsely and unfairly criticize[d] and scrutinize[d]” from that day onward. His lawsuit also states that before the “unlawful age based statements” about Donovan’s false plans to retire, his performance reviews had been excellent, but that this changed after rumors about his retirement began.
“[Yale] cast aside this valuable employee and this invaluable resource,” said William Palmieri, Donovan’s New Haven-based attorney. “He clearly was an able employee. He clearly was an excellent employee and that leads to the conclusion that Yale discriminated against him because of age.”
In August 2010, Donovan received a written warning and was demoted for a period of 90 days, after which his employment was to end. His termination date was then extended to March 2011, when he was then fired.
Donovan claims that as a result of the sequence of events, he lost his job, money and personal and professional reputation.
Before working for 20 years at the Yale-New Haven Hospital, Donovan served for 12 years at the medical school.