It hasn’t exactly been a banner year for the San Francisco 49ers.
The list of issues for the 49ers since losing the NFC Championship game last January has been extensive. Aldon Smith and Ray McDonald’s off-field issues, a power struggle with now departed head coach Jim Harbaugh, and apparently reneging on an agreement to replace local soccer fields adjacent to their new stadium in Santa Clara are just some examples of the dysfunction over the last 12 months.
It appears you can add yet another item to the list.
According to Kale Williams of the San Francisco Chronicle, the 49ers and owner Jed York have been named in an age discrimination lawsuit by two former employees.
Anthony Lozano, 56, and Keith Yanagi, 59, claim that they, as well as other older employees, were terminated from their jobs due to York’s alleged desire to bring in a younger work that matched the workforce at tech companies in the Silicon Valley area.
Lozano, a facilities manager, and Yanagi, director of video operations, said they were told the team was “going in a different direction” with no further explanation of their dismissal despite strong evaluations over the their time with the franchise.
The pair are suing for damages stemming from wrongful termination, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The 49ers declined comment to the Chronicle. Nevertheless, it’s yet another bad look for an organization that can’t seem to keep out of their own way. York said in a radio interview with KNBR that it wasn’t just important to win, but to win with class. If these accusations are accurate, York probably shouldn’t look in the mirror if he’s trying to find class.