the questi is, in this siation, wheg pteion, if any, does ernest costello have?> the fedal age diriminati act provestection r emoyees betweethe ages of 40 and . anit's desied to protect th in terms of hiring, promotion, merit pay, and even termination, so that someone is not refused employment simply because they're between those ages. the age discrimination act does not afford protection for employees who are fired for cause. it's just like every other federal statute in terms of the scope of its protection. if an employer can establish that an employee has not performed or has violated the rules and conditions of employment, that it's not an issue of discrimination. it's establishing that the termination was the result of age and not any other factor that is a violation of the act. [narrator] >> those are the specifics of age discrimination legislation. the question, of course, is do they apply in the case of ernest costello? >> this is a classic case of age discrimination. mr. costello was a successful executive with 35 years of experience. new management come