Cedar Point, the Ohio-based amusement park visited by more than 3 million people annually, will pay $50,000 to settle an age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The suit involved Cedar Point’s discount housing for seasonal, non-local employees. During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the park’s new policy prohibited employees, except entertainers, from living in its housing if they were 30 years or older. As a result, the policy forced employees above the age threshold to forgo their employment with the park, citing the financial burden of renting market rate housing.

After the EEOC attempted unsuccessfully to reach a pre-litigation settlement over the matter, the federal agency filed suit alleging that the park’s housing policy violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The ADEA prohibits discrimination against people 40 years of age or older on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges or employment.
In addition to the monetary settlement with the EEOC, the park also entered into a consent decree with the agency. As part of the consent decree, the park will provide monetary relief to impacted former employees, commit to non-discriminatory housing policies, and implement new training and policies surrounding the ADEA.

The park abolished its age-restricted housing policy at the beginning of the 2023 season.