Cedar Point will have to pay $50,000 after a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found the amusement park discriminated against employees over the age of 40.
According to the lawsuit, Cedar Point's owners, Cedar Fair and Magnum, provided housing at significantly below-market rates for out-of-town seasonal employees.
During the amusement park's 2021 and 2022 seasons, their owner implemented a policy that didn't allow employees over 30, other than entertainers, to live in employee housing.
According to the lawsuit, this action meant older out-of-town employees could not work at the park due to economic barriers.
The lawsuit stated the policy was a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits the denial of equal terms, conditions, and/or privileges of employment based on an individual’s age.
As a result of the lawsuit, Cedar Point will have to provide former employees monetary relief and commit to a housing policy that does not discriminate against employees over 40.
EEOC Cleveland Field Office Director Dilip Gokhale said, “Older workers comprise a vital component of the seasonal workforce at theme parks and other entertainment venues. Employers must take care to comply with the ADEA in all aspects of employment," EEOC Cleveland Field Office Director Dilip Gokhale said.
This isn't the first lawsuit Cedar Point has faced in recent years.
In 2021, a Michigan woman was injured after she was struck in the head by a piece of metal that dislodged from the Top Thrill Dragster.
That lawsuit is expected to head to court in Feb. 2025.
