A doctor discharged a staff member who had been working for him for nine months. She then claimed that her civil rights were violated and that she was discriminated against because of her age. She was 46 years old. During an investigation, the doctor was asked to provide copies of her performance evaluations to justify the contention that the discharge was based on her performance, not her age. No performance evaluations had been given to any employees. This claim led to an out-of-court settlement. Considerations The employee had been with the doctor for nine months and had not received a performance appraisal. She claimed that she was not aware that her performance was not satisfactory and was surprised when she was terminated. She alleged that the sole reason for her discharge was her age - that the doctor wanted to hire a younger person. The doctor said she had been warned on several occasions, but nothing had been documented