DETROIT, MI — A pair of former Detroit Tigers scouts filed a lawsuit against the team, alleging age discrimination in their dismissals after the 2020 season.
Gary Pellant and Randall Johnson filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit on Thursday, arguing that the shift toward analytics was followed by a “false stereotype” that older scouts lacked aptitude for newer scouting techniques.
They allege unfair termination and post-termination employment interference in violation of the Age Discrimination and Enforcement Act of 1967, as well as violations of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which went into effect in 1977. They also claimed Elliott-Larsen act violations for differential treatment and/or disproportionate impact age discrimination.
They sought back pay, front pay, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
The Tigers did not react quickly to a request for comment.
In June, seventeen former Major League Baseball scouts filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver against the league, its franchises, and commissioner Rob Manfred. They claimed ADEA violations, as well as violations of statutes in 11 states and New York City.
Pellant, 68, is originally from Chandler, Arizona, while Johnson, 67, is originally from Valley Center, California. The couple stated that they worked for several clubs for over 20 years until being let go by the Tigers on October 31, 2020. The suit does not say who else they worked for or when they were employed by the Tigers.
“Plaintiffs are among hundreds if not thousands of employees to be separated from employment with defendant in the last eight years as a result of a decision by the defendant and the MLB to replace older employees with younger employees,” according to the lawsuit.
The complaint stated that after Manfred took over as commissioner in January 2015, “MLB endeavored to begin heavily recruiting younger scouts, at the same time intentionally pushing out from the older scouts with prior knowledge, qualifications, expertise, and training, based on a false stereotype that older scouts lacked the ability to use analytics and engage in video scouting with the same acumen as younger scouts.”
According to the couple, they were among four Tigers scouts over 60 who were let go, with the remaining scouts ranging in age from early 20s to early 50s. According to the claim, 51 of at least 83 “older scouts” were let go by the 30 teams.
“Defendant claims they terminated plaintiffs due to the financial hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the complaint.COVID-19 was used as a ruse to terminate plaintiffs’ employment.
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