Laid-Off AT&T Workers’ Age Bias Lawsuit Greenlighted (1)

AT&T Inc. must defend a proposed class action alleging age bias in federal court after the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied the company’s motion to compel arbitration.

A general release and waiver agreement that named plaintiff Patrice Kantz and AT&T executed at the time of her termination trumped an earlier arbitration agreement, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said.

And the language of general release shows that the parties intended it to supersede the arbitration agreement, the court said.

The general release stated that it’s the “entire agreement” between Kantz and AT&T concerning her termination, and ...