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A deaf technician is suing Tesla, claiming the electric vehicle giant fired him after extreme heat in its Texas Gigafactory damaged his hearing aids, making it unsafe for him to work. The lawsuit alleges that Tesla failed to provide reasonable accommodations, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Texas labor laws.
Gigafactory Heat Leads to Hearing Aid Malfunction and Firing
According to the lawsuit, Hans Kohls, a highly-rated equipment technician, was assigned to a position in the Austin Gigafactory’s casting department. This role involved melting aluminum ingots at an astonishing 1,220°F. Kohls alleges that these “extreme heat and moisture” conditions caused his essential hearing aids to fail, preventing him from hearing critical safety alarms, alerts, and verbal communications.
In response to the dangerous conditions, Kohls requested a transfer to another department where the heat would not compromise his ability to hear. However, instead of accommodating his disability, Tesla allegedly terminated his employment. The complaint claims Kohls, 36, and his pregnant wife were left without health insurance following his dismissal.
Allegations of Discrimination and Unexplored Accommodations
The lawsuit asserts that Elon Musk’s company “never explored whether alternative safety measures – such as visual alarms, vibrating alerts or buddy systems – could address any safety concern in the Casting Department.” Furthermore, it contends that Tesla misrepresented the availability of other open positions that Kohls, who performed exceptionally in his training, could have filled.
Attorney Andrew Rozynski, representing Kohls, stated, “The facts of this case are stark and troubling. Tesla had a highly qualified employee who requested the most basic accommodation under the ADA, reassignment to a vacant position where he’d already demonstrated success. Instead of complying with the law, they fired him within nine days and told him he was being ‘medically separated.’”
Kohls’s legal team highlights his strong performance in Tesla’s intensive START program, where he achieved a 95.7 percent grade. He had also successfully worked in multiple departments within the Gigafactory where temperatures were cooler, and his hearing aids functioned without issue. These departments included vehicle validation and the drive unit, demonstrating his capabilities in suitable environments.
The lawsuit details that while Kohls disclosed his hearing impairment during the application process and an interview with a casting department supervisor, neither the application nor the interview fully conveyed the “extreme heat and humidity conditions” specific to the casting department, which “far exceed standard industrial heat levels.”
A Swift Termination After Accommodation Request
After experiencing firsthand the debilitating effects of the heat on his hearing aids, Kohls submitted a formal request for reasonable accommodation in mid-June 2024, asking for a transfer. He provided all necessary medical documentation, yet Tesla allegedly informed him they could not accommodate the request.
The complaint asserts that Tesla failed to discuss available positions, explain why reassignment was unfeasible, or conduct an individualized assessment of Kohls’s capabilities in other departments. Instead, Tesla allegedly “rigidly focused only on his inability to work in the Casting Department,” prioritizing internal policies over its ADA obligations.
Nine days after his accommodation request, on June 20, 2024, Tesla terminated Kohls’s employment, classifying it as a “medical separation.” The lawsuit argues this characterization confirms his dismissal was due to his disability requiring accommodation, not a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason. Following his termination, Kohls applied for two open positions at Tesla for which he was qualified but was rejected for both.
Tesla’s History of Workplace Condition Lawsuits
This lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal challenges Tesla has faced regarding its workplace conditions. In recent months, the company has been subject to other high-profile complaints:
- In August, workers at the Fremont, California plant sued over allegations of unchecked sexual assaults, drug use, employee brawls, and widespread bigotry, including racial slurs.
- A robotics technician at the Fremont factory sued for $51 million in September after an allegedly out-of-control robot severely injured him.
- Earlier this year, a former executive sued Tesla, claiming the company reneged on a remote work agreement, forcing him to relocate and exacerbating his medical conditions.
A Tesla spokesperson has not yet responded to requests for comment on Hans Kohls’s lawsuit.
Seeking Justice and Reinstatement
Kohls is seeking judicial action to reinstate him to an appropriate position at Tesla and to declare the company in violation of the ADA and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. Alternatively, he is pursuing substantial financial damages, including front pay, back pay, lost wages, benefits, retirement contributions, stock options, and compensatory, punitive, and exemplary damages for Tesla’s alleged “malicious and/or recklessly indifferent conduct.”
Tesla has yet to file a formal response to the allegations.