A man claiming he was fired because of his age and slandered when his employer accused him of theft and criminal behavior can proceed with his lawsuit against the chemical company he worked for, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge John R. Padova of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied a motion to dismiss filed by defendants Gehring-Montgomery Inc. and its officers.

The defendants claimed that plaintiff Lawrence Biss had not sufficiently alleged claims to support his lawsuit, specifically regarding defamation.