VOLKSWAGEN ACCUSED OF ‘COMPANY-WIDE’ AGE DISCRIMINATION

A Tennessee employee of Volkswagen AG sued the automaker and alleged it has been systematically discriminating against older workers in the wake of an emissions scandal that tarnished the company’s reputation. Jonathan Manlove, a former assistant manager in logistics, said he was demoted as part of an effort to shed its “old diesel image” and appear more like a “modern, young company focused on productivity, efficiency and technology,” according to a complaint filed Friday in Chattanooga federal court. Manlove, 53, said his demotion was part of a “company-wide” effort to eliminate older employees and replace them with younger workers. Although announcing its policy would be implemented through “natural fluctuations,” the automaker began purging older workers through coercive practices, Manlove says.