By Associated Press
Wichita, Kan. – WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A federal judge has tossed out an age discrimination lawsuit against The Boeing Co. and Spirit AeroSystems filed in the wake of Boeing's 2005 sale of commercial airplane operations in Kansas and Oklahoma.
U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren summarily ruled Wednesday in favor of the two aerospace giants. He found the evidence was insufficient to establish a pattern of age discrimination during the divestiture.
Former Boeing workers had sued in December 2005 claiming they lost their jobs because of their age. Their lawsuit was granted conditional class-action status a year later.
The companies had contended in seeking the lawsuits dismissal that the workers could not prove any intent to prevent older workers from attaining pension benefits.