Petitioner, a 45-year-old postal worker, filed suit claiming that her employer had violated the federal-sector provision of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), 29 U.S.C. �633a(a) ? which requires that ?[a]ll personnel actions affecting employees? at least 40 years of age? be made free from any discrimination based on age? ? by subjecting her to various forms of retaliation after she filed an administrative ADEA complaint. The District Court granted respondent summary judgment. The First Circuit affirmed on the ground that �633a(a)?s prohibition of ?discrimination based on age? does not cover retaliation.
Held: Section 633a(a) prohibits retaliation against a federal employee who complains of age discrimination. Pp. 3-16.
