The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit alleging that Smithfield Foods illegally fired an employee over the age of 55. The EEOC alleges that five of six employees older than 55 were terminated. In contrast 14 of 18 
salespersons under the age of 55 were retained in a restructuring involving a mandatory relocation to the company headquarters in Smithfield, VA.
The lawsuit was filed following a failure to reach a settlement through structured negotiation.