By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
A Rowan County magistrate who claimed he was discriminated against because of age has decided to quit early.
Fred Moore, 59, failed to get a four-year reappointment in January. Instead, Resident Superior Court Judge John L. Holshouser Jr. extended Moore’s term until April 30, his 60th birthday.
Eight other magistrates were reappointed for four-year terms
A few weeks later, Moore filed a complaint with the Charlotte office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charging that he had been discriminated against because of his age.
Moore said Wednesday that he has decided to quit and will turn in his keys to the Magistrate’s Office on Friday. He also notified other magistrates on Wednesday that Friday will be his last day.
A magistrate for 25 years, Moore said he is considering restarting his career in the U.S. Navy by volunteering to go to Iraq and work as a journalist and write news stories.
“There’s doctors in their 60s working in Iraq,” Moore said.
Moore said he volunteered for Vietnam early in his career in the Navy, but ended up in Europe.
And Moore said the EEOC complaint, which was transferred to the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings, is no longer active.
The soon-to-be-vacant magistrate’s position will apparently remain unfilled for some time. It’s included in the state freeze on hiring.