Paccar Settles Age-Discrimination Suit

BELLEVUE

A 65-year-old Redmond man will receive $45,000 from his former employer, Bellevue truck manufacturer Paccar Inc., in settlement of an age-discrimination suit.

Eugene Corey claimed Paccar forced him to quit before he was fully vested in the company's retirement plan.

Paccar said it agreed to pay the money to avoid a long lawsuit.

Corey sued Paccar for age discrimination and defamation.

"I'd had nothing but the best of yearly reports and then they said, `You're no good,' " said Corey, who worked for the company for almost 20 years.

Corey, an engineer, worked as an expert witness for Paccar, reconstructing accidents when Paccar was involved in lawsuits relating to the safety of Paccar trucks.

Corey claimed he was turned down for a promotion, then placed in a job he considered demeaning while a younger employee he formerly supervised was named his manager.

Corey's attorney, Shelley Kostrinsky, said the company actively solicited lawyers, whom Corey worked with in cases against Paccar, to write letters defaming Corey and criticizing his work.

Corey said he was told he might be eligible to take early retirement, but the offer never came through. In May of 1991, Corey quit the company after officials suggested he take a "voluntary layoff," he said. He would have been fully invested in the pension plan in January 1992, Kostrinsky said.

Corey said in 1985 a number of employees approaching retirement age were laid off.

Paccar spokesman Jack McRae said, "We will deny there is any pattern at Paccar of age discrimination."

Kostrinsky said in most such cases, settlements are reached and the information is not made public. With an offer of judgment, as was made in this case, there are no such restrictions.

Kostrinsky said it is normal for a company to make a statement in an offer of judgment that they are not admitting guilt but Paccar "didn't even do that."

The company later tried to rescind the offer, but the judge would not allow them to do that, Kostrinsky said.

The judgment was signed early this month in King County Superior Court by Judge Dale B. Ramerman.