When I was the owner of the music and dance school, I had to hire many teachers. I knew from my experience and networking with other school owners that some teachers are not reliable employees (or independent contractors).

They could leave because they found a school that is closer to their home. Some music teachers might start teaching at students’ houses. Or, frustrated with their schedule or bored with students who do not practice, they take a job that had nothing to do with music.

Therefore, we advertised for instructors all the time – whether we needed a new one or not. It helped us keep a list of potential teachers who could immediately replace a person who just left.

We often went to local colleges’ art departments and displayed “hiring” flyers on their bulletin boards. At one time, the best source for new teachers was Craig’s list. Each advertisement gave us at least a dozen responders. We had a high-quality school reputation because we hired only professional instructors with a college degree in music. That’s why it took me to conduct about ten interviews to find just one teacher.

During the interview, I always asked music teachers to play for me and show how they worked with young students.

One day I interviewed a piano teacher, Robert. He was a short good-looking man with a mane of salt and pepper hair. His playing was superb. However, he looked a little depressed to me. I wondered how Robert would work with kids.

To see how his students will react to him, I asked one of the moms in the waiting room to let me borrow her 6-year-old Michelle for a free piano lesson.

It was probably the most boring piano lesson I have ever observed. Robert was teaching the girl without a hint of enthusiasm and friendliness. To help Michelle feel more comfortable, I smiled at her and said a few encouraging words.

By the end of the lesson, Robert seemed bored and frustrated. Michelle (a very bright, outgoing girl) looked intimidated.

After the interview, I told Robert that I would call him but did not clarify when. In a few days, Robert called himself and complained that he waited for my call, and it was not polite to keep him waiting for a decision. I explained that he looked unhappy during the interview and bored while teaching Michelle. “You are a good piano player, but young kids need a cheerful and energetic teacher”, – I told him.

About two weeks later, we received a letter from the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.) Robert filed a complaint (A Charge of Discrimination) in which he accused my school of “age discrimination.”

It was the first and only time when somebody accused us of any discrimination. Luckily for us, our office manager Lynn was very good at managing complaints and problems.

She wrote a detailed letter to EEOC, where she wrote that several of our teachers were in their 50-s and 60-s. Robert was probably about 55 or so (he did not mention his age in the resume). Lynn herself was almost 60 at that time. With her help, we avoided the unpleasant and lengthy dealings with the government agency. They dropped the case.