Final answer:
Minnie A. Dent can claim age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act if her mandatory retirement is imposed solely due to her age, without evidence of diminished performance in her job as a bus driver.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Age Discrimination in Employment
Minnie A. Dent's case falls under the provisions of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects employees against mandatory retirement due to age. The ADEA states it is unlawful to discriminate in terms of employment based on an individual's age above 40. Given these protections, Minnie would likely have a valid claim if she can demonstrate that her required retirement solely because of age is not justified by any significant decrease in her ability to perform her job. However, the act also allows for age-based decisions if there is reasonable evidence that performance decreases in that particular occupation with age, though this is often specific to safety-sensitive positions and requires concrete evidence.
Therefore, the most accurate statement regarding Minnie's case is that, according to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, she may claim age discrimination if being forced to retire due to an arbitrary age limit with no evidence of diminished job performance. If her job performance remains unaffected by her age, Minnie has the right to challenge the company's mandatory retirement policy under the ADEA.