Beech Aircraft Corp. v. Kansas Human Rights Comm'n

The opinion of the court was delivered by This action arises under the Kansas Age Discrimination in
Employment Act (K.S.A. 44-1111 et seq.). The Kansas Human
Rights Commission (Commission) held that Beech Aircraft
Corporation (Beech) and Beech Acceptance Corporation, Inc.,
(BACI) had violated the act in their respective terminations of
Richard E. Noakes, Smith G. Laramore, and Edwin R. Hill. Beech
and BACI then filed a petition for judicial review thereof in the
district court pursuant to K.S.A. 44-1011(b), where the matter
was heard in a bench trial de novo. The district court held in
favor of the respective defendants and vacated the Commission's
final order. The Commission appeals from the district court's
judgment. The four issues raised on appeal are as follows:

I. Whether the district court erred in finding that
Richard E. Noakes failed to establish a prima
facie case of age discrimination.

II. Whether the district court erred in finding that
Smith G. Laramore failed to establish a prima
facie case of age discrimination.