POINT MUGU : Civilian Worker Files Age Bias Suit

A high-ranking civilian employee at Point Mugu navy base has filed a complaint against the base’s four highest-ranking officers, charging that she was a victim of age discrimination.

Claire A. Henry, a Ventura resident who has worked at the base for six years and the Navy for 21 years, filed the complaint with the Washington office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week.

The complaint charges that Capt. Paul J. Valovich, commander of Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station; Cmdr. Jim Reasoner, executive officer of the air weapons station, and six civilian employees who worked in Valovich’s office harassed Henry, who was a supervisor in the same office, because of her age.

Henry, 44, also charges Valovich’s superior officers--Rear Adm. William E. Newman, head of Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center, and Newman’s deputy, Capt. Douglas W. Cook--with approving of the harassment, which culminated in Henry’s transfer from Valovich’s office May 16.

In her new position at the Naval Air Warfare Center’s air-intercept systems department, Henry has retained her rank and collects the same salary, but she is no longer a supervisor.

“I have no work to do,” she said.

In addition to Henry, two of the seven other employees in the office were transferred, with only employees younger than Henry remaining in Valovich’s department, Henry said.

Valovich, whose term as commander ends next week, said he was not aware of Henry’s complaint, adding that employees are being shuffled from administrative offices to technical departments for budgeting purposes.

“It had nothing to do with her age,” Valovich said. “I eliminated a bunch of my jobs in my office because of downsizing” at the base.