Settlement in BellSouth age discrimination lawsuit

ATLANTA - BellSouth Corporation has agreed to pay $200,000 and enhanced retirement benefits to a former employee who alleged in a federal lawsuit she was fired because of her age. <br> <br> The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company in March on behalf of Deborah Caldwell, who was dismissed in January 1999 at age 50 after 30 years at BellSouth. The 53-year-old Caldwell now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. <br> <br> BellSouth neither admitted or denied liability or wrongdoing in the consent decree, which U.S. District Judge Richard Story signed Wednesday. <br> <br> A BellSouth spokeswoman, Necole Merritt, said the telecommunications company has policies prohibiting employee discrimination. <br> <br> Besides $200,000 in back pay, the company agreed to credit Caldwell&#39;s service record with three years, ending this month.