He says he reported a manager's abusive language to HR - and lost his job soon after
An older financial analyst says his employer treated him worse because of his age - then fired him after he complained.
A 51-year-old former senior financial analyst has sued S&S Activewear, accusing the apparel distributor of age discrimination and retaliation. The complaint, filed on July 30, 2026, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, brings claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, known as the ADEA, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
The employee joined the company around March 2025 as a senior financial analyst, working remotely from his home in Pennsylvania, according to the filing. He had arrived through an acquisition - the complaint says his previous employer was bought by S&S Activewear around October 2024. He says he did his job well, earning occasional praise and no justifiable discipline.
The friction, the complaint says, ran through his managers. He alleges that his director of finance, described in the filing as in his mid-30s and substantially younger, favored younger employees - quick to support and respond to his younger colleagues while ignoring the analyst's emails and his contributions during meetings. Around November 2025, the filing says, the company placed him on a performance improvement plan, or PIP, a formal process that sets targets an employee must meet.
He then began reporting to a new manager, also described as in his mid-30s and substantially younger. The filing alleges this manager held a discriminatory animus toward him based on his age. When the analyst asked for clarification on an assignment, the manager allegedly replied, "you're wasting my fucking time." The complaint says the manager also made remarks such as, "You should have never asked these questions," and, "God dammit, this is how I want it done." The filing alleges the manager frequently cancelled meetings that were meant to help him complete the PIP.
The analyst says he submitted a complaint to a human resources representative about the manager's hostile and abusive language. According to the filing, the behavior continued.
The company terminated his employment on or about January 9, 2026, the complaint says. On or about March 26, 2026, the filing alleges, S&S Activewear hired a replacement of approximately 32 - a worker the complaint describes as substantially younger.
For HR leaders, the shape of the case is familiar. An internal complaint about a manager, followed within weeks by a termination, is the pattern that tends to invite a retaliation claim, where timing carries real weight. A PIP can cut both ways: designed as a support tool, it can be recast by a plaintiff as a paper trail built to justify an exit - especially when, as alleged here, the supporting meetings kept falling off the calendar. And a younger worker moving into the same role gives an age claim its comparison point.
The analyst is seeking back wages, front pay, bonuses and benefits of no less than $150,000, along with liquidated damages, interest and attorneys' fees.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and no judge has ruled on the claims.
