Fired Worker in Ageism Suit Alleges He Was Targeted, Micromanaged

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A 64-year-old man is suing a Gardena manufacturer of back yard homes for age discrimination, alleging company executives falsely concluded his methods were "old school" and implied that he did not know what he was doing.

John Gwinner's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit allegations against Cover Technologies Inc. include discrimination, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, harassment or retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Gwinner seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Cover designs, obtains permits, manufactures and installs backyard homes, according to its website. A Cover representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought July 17.

Gwinner was hired in March 2021 as a software engineer. He first suffered age discrimination in November of that year when an executive told him he was the oldest employee in the company, according to the suit, which further alleges the same management member said during meetings that the plaintiff was irrelevant and that his information was outdated.

On one occasion, the executive ordered Gwinner out of his own office, saying he did not have the energy required to work late hours, the suit states.

Another Cover higher-up targeted and micromanaged Gwinner while showing a preference for younger employees, the suit alleges.

While watching on Zoom conferences, the executive made crude noises, said that Gwinner was not going fast enough and that he was "old school" and implied that Gwinner did not know what he was doing, according to the suit.

In May 2022, management ignored safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic and continued to require in-person meetings, including one in which participants did not wear masks and caused seven employees, including Gwinner, to test positive for COVID-19, the suit states.

In alleged retaliation for complaining about Cover not abiding by coronavirus safety measures, Gwinner, who had a fever, was ordered to work 11 hours, the suit states.

In 2023, one of the executives directed Gwinner to turn over a project the plaintiff had been working on for two months and had nearly completed to a member of a large group of interns in their 20s hired in 2023, according to the suit, which further states that the plaintiff was later directed to turn over all of his work to the young newcomer.

"Gwinner went home that day devastated that a young intern with no experience was receiving his assignments," the suit states.

Gwinner, then 62, was fired the next day in alleged retaliation for his age discrimination complaints, according to the suit, which additionally alleges that he has sustained lost earnings and suffered emotional distress as a result of losing his job.