PORTLAND, Ore. – Wheeler County, Ore., has agreed to settle an age discrimination suit on behalf of a longtime county resident for $25,000 and other relief, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today. The settlement resolves the EEOC’s lawsuit, which charged that the county selected a younger, less qualified candidate over Patricia Hyatt because of age. Hyatt was 67 in the fall of 2006 when she applied to work as a part-time office assistant for the county assessor. She had over 40 years of office experience at the time and had the skills listed in the job announcement. The EEOC’s investigation showed that despite her background and experience, Hyatt was not invited to interview and ultimately was passed over for the job.