Blind Machinist Sues Boeing

Stockwell Law Firm is proud to represent a blind machinist in a disability discrimination lawsuit against Boeing that is drawing local and national media attention.

The case was first covered by the Everett Herald and has since been picked up nationally by Newsweek. At the center of the lawsuit is a fundamental question about disability rights at work: whether an employer gave a qualified worker a meaningful opportunity to do his job with reasonable accommodations.

An experienced machinist who had already been making pars for Boeing

Before joining Boeing, our client worked as a machinist at The Lighthouse for the Blind, where he manufactured parts for Boeing. With appropriate accommodations he was able to perform precision work exceeding Boeing’s requirements.

In September 2023, Boeing offered him a machinist position at its Everett facility. Our client is blind with some remaining vision, and his disability was apparent during the hiring process.

The lawsuit alleges that after he was hired, Boeing failed to provide the accommodations he needed to perform the job and ultimately terminated his employment.

The Everett Herald detailed the allegations and our client’s history as a machinist in its August 12 story, “Blind employee alleges Boeing failed to provide accommodations”.

The case subsequently attracted national coverage from Newsweek, which examined the lawsuit, the accommodations our client sought and the possibility of reinstatement as one potential remedy. Read the Newsweek coverage: “Boeing could be forced to hire blind man to build planes due to lawsuit”.

The attention surrounding the case underscores a broader issue facing workers with disabilities. Disability does not automatically determine whether someone can perform a particular job. The relevant question is whether the worker can perform the essential functions of the position with reasonable accommodation.

Our client had years of experience performing precision machining work, including manufacturing parts for Boeing. His lawsuit alleges that he was capable of doing the work with appropriate accommodations but was not given that opportunity.

Stockwell Law Firm is proud to represent him as he seeks to hold Boeing accountable.

The allegations described above are contained in the complaint and have not yet been adjudicated.