Is Age Discrimination the Real Reason This Beloved Zamboni Driver Was Fired After 50 Seasons?

Al Sobotka, who was a beloved figure for the Red Wings, working as the Zamboni driver and arena manager for 50 seasons, was fired back in 2022.

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Olympia Entertainment fired Sobotka after he was caught by an employee urinating into an ice drain in the Zamboni garage.

The company claims that it was "egregious misconduct" and unprofessional, and was the sole reason for his termination.

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While Sobotka admits to the incident, he claims it was not misconduct, saying that he has an undisclosed prostate issue that causes a sudden, urgent need to urinate, especially when he's around the ice.

Sobotka claims that because of this he couldn't make it to an actually bathroom in time.

Sobotka believes that the real reason for his firing was a pretext for age discrimination.

He claims that company management thought he was "too old" for the job, pointing to an executive allegedly calling him "old" just weeks before the incident.

In Sobotka's lawsuit against Olympia Entertainment, he points out that he was replaced by a 37-year-old who worked under him and was hired at the exact same salary of $81,000 that it took Sobotka five decades to achieve.

The trial is currently underway in Wayne County Circuit Court.

The Jury will have to decide whether the firing was justified or if the urination incident was used as an excuse to wrongfully terminate him based on his age or disability.

My two cents are that while it was inappropriate to pee where he did instead of using an actual restroom, it seems kind of extreme to fire someone who has been part of an organization for over 50 years.

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