Ex-LIU Professor Files Age-Discrimination Complaint

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A former adjunct professor at a Long Island university claims age discrimination played a role in his and two colleagues' termination.

Irving Gerber, 87, of East Meadow, filed a complaint with the state Division of Human Rights claiming Long Island University gave them no warning. The three have taught for years at the College of Education, Information and Technology at the school's C.W. Post campus.

They said they learned about their termination after arriving on campus last January.

"The day before the new term was to start, amazing, they said you have no assignments this time," Gerber told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan on Friday.

"At first I was very unhappy, I was a little depressed about it," Gerber told WCBS 880. "But then I became outraged. I said I'm going to take this further and that's why I took it to the Division of Human Rights."

Dr. Barry Persky, 76, told McLogan the same thing happened to him.

"I called to find out what's my assignment and they said, 'oh, you have no students.' What?
Attendance was down, they had to make cuts, but why three senior people?" Persky said.

The university said it can't comment on any individual case, but school Vice President Dr. Jackie Nealon issued a statement saying, "It is an unfounded allegation that we would make any personnel decision based on age or any other discriminatory factor."

The university declined to confirm how many faculty or staff have been eliminated or reassigned since the new administration took over, but did say several positions are no longer relevant in higher education today.

Gerber said it's a clear-cut case.

"There are three of us who were dismissed," Gerber told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera. "There are about 25 supervisors of student teachers and we three are the oldest."

"I had glowing reports, reviews. I said, 'why are you firing me?' They never gave a reason," Gerber told McLogan. "It is illegal, unethical, immoral and everything else."

The state agency said it doesn't comment on pending cases.

The other professor that was let go is 72.

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