Supervisor claims Panasonic fired him the night he sought medical leave

Five days later, things got worse. During his overnight shift on December 8, the complaint says, his foot became so swollen and painful he could not walk. He got permission to leave early.

That same day, according to the filing, the worker told Panasonic he couldn’t make his next shift. He submitted a request for emergency paid time off, asked for medical leave, and sought to start the interactive process – the formal back-and-forth where employer and employee work together to find a reasonable way to accommodate a disability.

He also told the company he was in the middle of an acute gout attack, was extremely ill from his medication, and was experiencing a medical emergency, the complaint alleges.

Then came the termination. Later that evening – still December 8 – Panasonic ended his employment, the filing states. The complaint calls the stated reason “false and pretextual,” alleging the real motives were “discrimination” based on his disability and “retaliation” for requesting medical leave and accommodation.

The lawsuit brings seven claims spanning federal and Nevada law: disability “discrimination” under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Nevada’s NRS 613.330; “retaliation” under the ADA and NRS 613.340; failure to provide reasonable accommodation under both the ADA and state law; and interference with his rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the federal law that protects employees who need time off for serious health conditions.