Independence, Mo. ? A lawsuit claiming that the Kansas City Chiefs fired an older maintenance manager because of his age has received fresh life.

On Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court vacated a Jackson County jury’s decision that the club didn’t discriminate in Steve Cox’s firing. The judges found that it was wrong to preclude 20 other former employees from testifying that they also lost their jobs because they were older.

The Supreme Court has sent the case back to the lower court for reconsideration.

Cox was 61 in 2010 when he was fired and replaced with a 37-year-old worker. The Chiefs have argued that Cox was terminated for performance issues and insubordination.

A Chiefs attorney didn’t immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment on the ruling.