Judicial and Administrative Interpretations of the Bona Fide Occupational Qualification as Applied to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act

This note will examine administrative and judicial standards used to prevent age discrimination in employment decisions. The first section will analyze the ADEA, enacted in response to the growing concern about age discrimination. The second section will discuss the Bona Fide Occupational Qualification exception to the ADEA\u27s prohibition against age discrimination. Finally, the concerns particular to the airline industry regarding its age-related policies will be presented together with the responses of the FAA, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the judiciary in an attempt to clarify and resolve the difficulties inherent in situations where safety is a major concern