The Case of the Middle-Aged Metallurgist

Donna is 50 years old and has been employed as a metallurgist by Geodynamics, Inc., a chemical manufacturing company,forover15years.Geodynamics employs over100 people. Donna has been an excellent employee.She has received several "Employee of the Month" awards during her employment and has received exemplary annual evaluations and raises. Over the past six months, Geodynamics has gone on a hiring spree, and has hired ten new metallurgists, all of whom are under the age of 35.At the time Geodynamics started its hiring spree, it changed its company policy to state that all employees, whether new or not, had to meet certain "performance standards," or be subject to discipline, demotion or even termination. SoonafterGeodynamicsimplementedthenewperformancestandards,Donnawas subjectedtoanevaluation.The evaluationdidnotgowellforDonnaandshewas suspended without pay for a week.She was then told that unless she improved, she would be terminated.Over the next several weeks, Donna performed well and kept up with the new performance standards.However, she was terminated by Geodynamics without any further explanation.Subsequently, Donna discovered that none of the newly hired metallurgists (all under the age of 35) had to go through an evaluation, and none of them were subjected to discipline, demotion or threatened with termination.Donna filed suit against Geodynamics, alleging age discrimination.

What is the IRAC for this case? with respect to identifying when Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 OR another federal anti-discrimination law is applicable in an employment matter. Thank you.