Aaron D. Beyers, a former employee of Weld-Seam, Inc., has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, alleging discrimination and retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on January 2, 2025. Beyers claims that Weld-Seam, Inc. discriminated against him due to his disabilities and retaliated against him for seeking accommodations.
The plaintiff, Aaron D. Beyers, began working at Weld-Seam, Inc. in October 2022 as a Precision Shear Operator. Diagnosed with Bipolar Manic Disorder and Anxiety Disorder since 2019, Beyers required daily medication to manage his conditions. He alleges that these disabilities significantly impacted various aspects of his daily life including emotional regulation and social interactions. Despite being qualified for his role with reasonable accommodation, Beyers asserts that he faced a hostile work environment characterized by disparaging remarks from his supervisor about his mental health conditions.
On February 5, 2024, following an anxiety attack witnessed by his supervisor who allegedly responded with derogatory comments questioning the legitimacy of Beyers' disability, he requested an accommodation to be assigned to a slower-paced machine or task. This request was immediately denied by his supervisor. Subsequently, on March 6, 2024, after requesting time off for mental health reasons and medication adjustments, Beyers was terminated from his position.
Beyers’ complaint outlines two main counts: disability discrimination and retaliation under the ADA. He argues that Weld-Seam failed to provide reasonable accommodations for his disabilities and did not engage in an interactive process as required by law. Furthermore, he contends that the termination of his employment was unjustified and constituted retaliation for exercising his rights under the ADA.
In seeking redress from the court, Beyers is asking for several forms of relief including equitable/injunctive relief; compensatory damages covering lost wages and emotional distress; punitive damages; reinstatement or alternatively front pay; attorney’s fees; costs; disbursements; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Aaron D. Beyers is Michael T. Smith from the Law Offices of Michael T. Smith & Associates P.C., while Jessica Petrovski from Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP represents Weld-Seam Inc. The case is presided over by Judge Amrith Kaur Aakre under Case ID No. 25-CV-000038.