Dillard's Inc. will pay $50,000 and offer additional relief to settle an age discrimination suit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a Cary employee.

According to the EEOC's complaint, Dillard's fired Virginia Keene from her position as an area sales manager at the store in Cary in November 2008. At the time she was 61 years old. The company then replaced her with a 24-year-old employee who only had four months of experience as an area sales manager. At the time of her termination, Keene ranked second out of six area sales managers at the Cary store in terms of sales, the EEOC said.

The suit alleged that the Arkansas-based retailer violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits employers from firing workers because of their age.

Dillard's declined to comment.

As Chapel Hill considers whether to permanently move its library to University Mall, the key players are remaining silent.

Last month, mall owner Madison Marquette offered to sell the town 52,000 square feet of the space currently housing Dillard’s. It asked for $4 million cash for the space, providing the department store ends its lease. If the town agrees, it could save money over the planned expansion of the current library on Estes Drive and use the building for other needs.

Neither Madison Marquette nor Dillard’s will say when the department store’s lease is up, and Dillard’s won't comment for a story coming Sunday in The Chapel Hill News.

“Right now, they’re going to be there until their lease expires,” says University Mall General Manager Peter DeLeon. “At this stage, Dillard’s is not leaving; a lot of people are speculating about the idea, [but] there is nothing in writing.”
 

Wacoal wants to fit you in a new bra and help Susan G. Komen for the Cure at the same time. Go to Dillard's at Triangle Town Center Oct 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get fitted and Wacoal will give $2 to the group, which supports breast cancer research and community health programs. For every Wacoal bra or shapewear or b.tempt'd bra sold during the event, Wacoal will donate another $2 to the organization.