(Re: July 29 article, “69-year-old man claims LGS Rec rescinded job offer because of his age”)
We are surprised and disappointed that this article was published on the front page of our community newspaper, especially because Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Education and Recreation (LGS Recreation) remains committed to supporting our community. If you recall, through our sole efforts, we received a $1 million grant that went on to support our older adult community members.
It was not appropriate to sensationalize this routine local employment decision. Specifically, the article appears under the category of “Local News,” which misleads the public since it is in fact a thinly-veiled opinion piece by the author. Nearly the entire story contains the job applicant’s point of view, while just two paragraphs (69 of 806 words, to be exact) are dedicated to explaining LGS Recreation’s point of view.
There is no attempt to create even the appearance of neutrality. In response to information provided by LGS Recreation, the author expresses his incredulity that “After receiving this message, the Los Gatan reached out to Taylor to try to understand what on earth (Human Resources Director) Chen could be referring to.”
While unsuccessful job applicants customarily benefit from confidentiality over the reasons for employment decisions, it appears that you and Mr. Taylor have elected to publicly air the particulars behind Mr. Taylor’s employment search, which can only work to Mr. Taylor’s detriment. As Mr. Taylor has reportedly filed a claim with the State, LGS Recreation looks forward to sharing its full side of the story with the Civil Rights Division as a rebuttal to Mr. Taylor’s claim of age discrimination, rather than publicly airing a personal dispute as an antidote to the proverbial “slow news day.”
Your article does not fully capture each step of the hiring process. It is important to note that Mr. Taylor did not receive a final offer of employment, and that Board approval is required to complete the hiring process. It appears that due diligent research was not applied and omissions and inaccuracies may harm the agency’s efforts to support our community.
LGS Recreation is committed to non-discrimination on the basis of all protected classes, including age, and is proud to continue offering its “55 Plus” program for our community members over the age of 55.
Jia Chen
Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation, human resources director
