Before we get into that, I'm not so sure it's relevant to the topic of study. It is relevant to the question you posed, but it's not relevant to the topic we're studying: engaging experience: opportunities for older persons in the workforce.
My initial thoughts are that's not what we're studying, and therefore, I wouldn't have the department officials digging into that unless we were going to study it.
Now, before there's any commitment, I don't know what your position was. He never answered the question, but I think ultimately, I'd probably put it to the committee if it became an issue.