Hans Kohls, a deaf former Tesla employee, has sued the company after claiming extreme heat in the Austin Gigafactory’s casting department caused his hearing aids to fail. Kohls says he requested a reassignment in June 2024 so his devices would work and he could hear safety alarms, but was fired nine days later and labeled a "medical separation." The lawsuit accuses Tesla of violating the ADA and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act and seeks reinstatement and a judicial finding of discrimination.
Deaf Former Tesla Worker Sues After Hearing Aids Failed in 1,220°F Casting Department
Hans Kohls, a deaf former Tesla employee, has sued the company after claiming extreme heat in the Austin Gigafactory’s casting department caused his hearing aids to fail. Kohls says he requested a reassignment in June 2024 so his devices would work and he could hear safety alarms, but was fired nine days later and labeled a "medical separation." The lawsuit accuses Tesla of violating the ADA and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act and seeks reinstatement and a judicial finding of discrimination.
09:01 PM, 11/15/2025Society
Deaf Former Tesla Worker Sues After Hearing Aids Failed in Casting Department
A former Tesla employee, Hans Kohls, has filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired after raising concerns that extreme heat in the company’s Austin Gigafactory caused his hearing aids to malfunction. The complaint, filed Monday and obtained by The Independent, names the automaker owned by Elon Musk and accuses Tesla of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act.
Kohls, who is deaf, says he was assigned to the casting department at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, where he was working near molten aluminum heated to roughly 1,220°F. According to the lawsuit, the department’s “extreme heat and moisture” — conditions it says "far exceed standard industrial heat levels" — caused Kohls’ hearing aids to fail. Without functioning hearing aids, the suit argues, Kohls could not reliably hear alarms or other safety alerts, creating a significant safety risk.
After experiencing repeated failures of his devices, Kohls requested a reassignment to a different role where his hearing aids would work — a reasonable accommodation he says is required under the ADA. The suit alleges that Tesla refused to reassign him, told him no other positions were available, and claimed the START internship program he was part of prohibited transfers. Nine days after Kohls submitted his transfer request in June 2024, he says Tesla terminated his employment and labeled the discharge a "medical separation."
"The facts of this case are stark and troubling," Kohls’ attorney Andrew Rozynski told The Independent. "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 called it a 'medical separation.'"
The complaint also notes that Kohls initially trained in cooler departments at the Gigafactory through Tesla’s START training program after applying in February 2024, so he says he was not forewarned that the casting department’s conditions would be so extreme. The lawsuit disputes Tesla’s assertion that transfers were not permitted and contends that vacant positions did exist.
This lawsuit adds to broader scrutiny of working conditions at Tesla plants. Previous reporting has highlighted multiple workplace deaths and allegations that the company underreported hundreds of injuries. The filing also references criticism of Elon Musk’s handling of employees, including past reports of abrupt terminations and alleged retaliation against workers who raised safety concerns.
Kohls is seeking reinstatement to an appropriate position at Tesla and asks a court to find the company in violation of the ADA and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. The case underscores legal and safety questions about workplace accommodations and how employers address disabilities in extreme industrial environments.