BNSF Railway sued by EEOC for disability discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a federal lawsuit against BNSF Railway Company, alleging the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit claims BNSF unlawfully terminated an employee due to his disability and retaliated against him after he requested a reasonable accommodation.

The employee, who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, was hired as a laborer in Chicago in April 2023. During field training in Overland Park, Kansas, the worker requested to use a smaller-handled spike maul to alleviate hand pain caused by using a larger tool. According to the EEOC, BNSF refused the request, failed to offer alternative accommodations, and subsequently fired the employee.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, seeks monetary damages including back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future unlawful conduct.