Feds file lawsuit against Yakima Hertz dealership

YAKIMA -- Lawyers for the federal government have filed a lawsuit against the corporate owner of a Yakima Hertz dealership alleging the firing of two salesmen was rooted in age discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed today in U.S. District Court against Portland-based West One Automotive Group, Inc., owner of the Hertz rental and used-car dealership in Yakima, according to a news release from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Lawyers for the EEOC allege two Yakima Hertz salesmen, Glen Epperson and Dennis Fewel, were fired in May 2006 as the end product of a pattern of a "barrage of ageist comments" by a manager.

The manager was not identified in the news release. Calls to the general manager of the Yakima Hertz dealership and company headquarters in Portland were not returned.

According to the news release, EEOC lawyers allege Epperson's firing also stemmed in part from retaliation for helping a female co-worker file an internal sexual harassment claim.

"Retaliatory acts included an attempt to divert part of Epperson's sales commission to another salesperson, taking away his demo car of choice and refusing to promote him to a vacant sales manager position," the release said.

The EEOC said it sued West One Auto Group only after first attempting to reach an out-of-court settlement.

West One Auto Group is headquartered in Portland and operates Hertz rental sites and used-car dealerships at 18 sites in Oregon and Washington, including Yakima, according to the EEOC.

-- Chris Bristol