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A Tesla technician with hearing loss has filed a lawsuit against the company. Hans Kohls, who used to work as a technician at the Elon Musk-led carmaker’s Texas Gigafactory, has alleged that the company assigned him to a position where he had to melt aluminium ingots at 1220 degrees Fahrenheit, which caused his hearing aids to malfunction and made it very difficult for him to hear essential safety signals.
For this, Kohls requested a transfer away from the casting department, where conditions “far exceed standard industrial heat levels.” According to a lawsuit obtained by The Independent, Tesla fired Kohls rather than providing a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and labor laws, which is a serious violation. The lawsuit claims that the 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 claims Tesla misrepresented the availability of other open positions that Kohls, who performed well in his training class, could have filled. The technician and his pregnant wife were also allegedly stripped of their health insurance following his termination.
What Hans Kohls’ lawyer said about Tesla
In a statement to The Independent, attorney Andrew Rozynski, who is representing Kohls, expressed the stark and troubling nature of the case.
He said: “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 “outperformed his peers in Tesla's own training program, successfully worked in multiple departments at the Gigafactory, and asked for nothing more than reassignment to a role where extreme heat wouldn't damage his hearing aids. Tesla's response? Termination. The ADA exists precisely to prevent this kind of discrimination,” Rozynski added, emphasising the unfairness of Kohls' treatment despite his successful performance.According to the lawsuit, Kohls applied to Tesla’s START program in February 2024, an internship designed to prepare participants for equipment technician roles. The filing says that although he is deaf, his hearing aids “allow him to effectively communicate and hear necessary alarms, alerts, and verbal communication,” and notes that he previously worked in hot and loud industrial settings “without issue.”In his application, Kohls stated that he could receive safety signals through his hearing and “successfully demonstrated” this during training across several Gigafactory departments.The complaint argues that neither the application nor the interview indicated that the Casting Department’s conditions “would far exceed standard industrial heat levels.” It states that the department melts aluminium at “approximately 1,220 degrees Fahrenheit,” a level of heat that caused his hearing aids to malfunction. In March, Tesla hired him and placed him in a 10-week robotics and manufacturing course, where he “excelled,” before assigning him to different departments for hands-on training. In those areas, the temperatures were cooler, his hearing aids worked, and he communicated effectively. According to the complaint, once he was placed in the Casting Department, the “extreme conditions” caused his hearing aids to fail, leaving him unable to “reliably” hear safety alerts. In June, he requested an accommodation to transfer to another department. Despite providing medical documentation and following the required steps, Tesla “determined it could not accommodate Mr Kohls” and did not discuss possible roles, even though he had performed well in other departments, the lawsuit says. It alleges the company “never explored” alternative safety measures and focused only on his inability to work in casting.The filing claims Tesla told him no other jobs were available and that the START program “prohibited transfers,” despite “suitable vacant positions.” Nine days after his request, Tesla fired him, saying he was being “medically separated.”The lawsuit challenges the company’s termination of Kohls and claims he was dismissed because of his need for an accommodation. Despite continued posting jobs, Tesla rejected Kohls for roles he applied to after his termination, the complaint noted. Tesla’s actions violated the ADA and Texas labour law, leading to emotional distress, financial losses, and harm to his career. Kohls is now asking a judge to reinstate him or award compensation, including lost wages, benefits, damages and legal fees. However, Tesla has yet to file a formal response to the lawsuit.
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