A deaf technician at Tesla's Gigafactory in Texas claims he was unfairly dismissed after the extreme heat in the casting department caused his hearing aids to malfunction, leaving him unable to hear safety alarms.
Hans Kohls, 36, was assigned to a role melting aluminium ingots at 1,220°F, conditions he argues were too severe for his hearing aids. He requested a transfer but was instead fired, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court.
The complaint alleges Tesla never considered alternative safety measures and lied about other available positions. Kohls's attorney, Andrew Rozynski, said Tesla terminated him within nine days of his request, calling it a 'medical separation.'
Kohls had excelled in Tesla's training programme, achieving a 95.7% grade. He had previously worked successfully in other industrial environments with hearing aids. Tesla declined to comment.
The lawsuit claims the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to accommodate his disability. Kohls and his wife also lost their health insurance while she was pregnant.
