BNSF Railway Company violated federal law when it fired an employee because of his disability after he requested a reasonable accommodation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the employee, who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic condition which can result in painful joints, was hired as a BNSF laborer in Chicago in April 2023.
During required field training in Overland Park, Kansas, he experienced hand pain while using a large spike maul for an extended period, and he asked to use a smaller-handled spike maul used by a supervisor. BNSF refused the request, failed to provide any alternative accommodation, and instead fired him, the suit said…