Deaf Tesla Employee Fired After Reporting Hearing Aids Malfunction Due to Factory Heat: ADA Lawsuit Filed

The deaf Tesla employee has filed a lawsuit against the company.

A deaf employee at Tesla's Texas Gigafactory has initiated legal action against the company, claiming wrongful termination after voicing concerns about the factory's excessive temperatures affecting his hearing aids. In his complaint, Hans Kohls detailed that his assignment to the casting department, where aluminum was melted at temperatures exceeding 660C (1,220F), caused his hearing devices to malfunction, leaving him unable to detect crucial safety signals, alarms, and audible alerts.

Instead of providing accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle manufacturer terminated his employment. Andrew Rozynsk, Kohls' attorney, described his client's accommodation request as fundamental and characterized the case facts as "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,'" Rozynski explained in statements reported by The Independent.

Kohls applied for the Tesla START program in February 2024, a 10-week training initiative designed to equip workers with technical skills for employment with the electric vehicle manufacturer. He was accepted into the program the following month, focusing on robotics and manufacturing skills. His performance was exemplary, earning a 95.7 percent final grade that placed him in the top distinction category.

Following the program, Kohls worked in several departments at the Gigafactory, including vehicle validation and the drive unit, where temperatures were significantly lower than the casting department where he was later assigned. According to the complaint, Kohls was never informed that heat conditions in the casting department would substantially exceed standard industrial heat levels.

In mid-June 2024, Kohls submitted a reasonable accommodation request with all required medical documentation, fully complying with company protocols. Nevertheless, he was subsequently terminated. The lawsuit further alleges that Tesla misrepresented available positions that Kohls could have filled, despite his previous successful work in multiple factory departments.

"Tesla never discussed with Mr. Kohls what positions were available or why reassignment was not feasible. Tesla failed to inquire whether Kohls could perform in other departments - despite his documented success in Vehicle Validation and Drive Unit."

Kohls alleges that Tesla violated both the ADA and Texas state labor code, resulting in severe emotional distress, anxiety, depression, mental anguish, humiliation, and embarrassment. He is requesting court-ordered reinstatement to an appropriate position at Tesla, along with front pay, back pay, lost wages, benefits, retirement contributions, stock options, compensatory damages, and punitive damages.