Disabled Georgia Employee Sues After Being Mocked for Disability

The former repair technician at a Macon car dealership has filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against the owner of the dealership, alleging he was discriminated against for disabilities and mental health conditions. According to the plaintiff in this lawsuit, the former employee at the Macon car service center owned by 5-Star Automotive Group, alleges he was ridiculed and discriminated against for his anxiety, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Five-Star Automotive Group owns 18 new and used car dealerships and collision centers in Georgia, including multiple locations in Macon. The plaintiff worked at a location on Wimbish Road, a service center at 5-star Hyundai of Macon. The lawsuit also alleges the plaintiff had three herniated discs in his back. When he expressed concern to his manager that he needed to take leave because he impacted the injury, he was called a female slur.

The plaintiff worked there from February 27, 2020, until August 4, 2023. The incident in question occurred in July of 2023. The plaintiff also alleged in his lawsuit that whenever he would complain about issues that affected his mental health at work, his supervisor would respond with, “What kind of Tommy do we have today?”

According to his lawsuit, the plaintiff was never told that he had leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The lawsuit further alleges that Five Star Automotive Group violated federal law, infringing on the Americans with Disabilities Act and the FMLA, court documents filed show.

The plaintiff also informed his manager on repeated occasions that he needed time to rest during his shifts after being exacerbated by the physically intense and hostile work environment. However, he was never given resources or accommodation, according to his lawsuit. The lawsuit says he was still able to perform his job with or without accommodations at the time. The plaintiff told a former coworker in August 2023 that he was being treated harshly by his manager and was thinking about going to human resources to file a complaint. According to the lawsuit, his manager confronted the plaintiff about his intention to go to human resources, and told him he’d be fired for it. The plaintiff argued that he was being treated unfairly and was fired from the collision center three days after he and his manager argued. The firing cited his lack of attendance and poor work performance. But his lawsuit contends that the supervisor’s reasons for firing the plaintiff were false since he had never been disciplined and, whenever he requested time off, it was due to his medical condition and covered under the FMLA. The plaintiff was also called a good technician the same day he was terminated, his lawsuit contends.

In response to a hostile work environment, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit under the ADA and the FMLA.

Talk to an Atlanta employment discrimination lawyer today 

Have you been discriminated against in the workplace because of a disability? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the Atlanta employment lawyers at The Forsythe Law Firm, LLC to discuss your situation with the seasoned and experienced employment law attorney. We can help.

Source:

macon.com/news/business/article289219949.html