A blind man has sued Boeing, alleging the aerospace giant failed to provide proper accommodations after offering him a job, and accusing executives of appearing "offended" that he believed he could perform essential duties. The lawsuit alleges John Ott, 63, suffered wrongful termination, disability discrimination and retaliation. Ott is seeking unspecified damages and potential job reinstatement, which could be an equitable remedy available under discrimination statutes as part of a winning jury verdict, his attorney, Christopher Stockwell, told Newsweek.
Ott has since returned to a previous employer. The former police officer and father of four said he still wants to work at Boeing, but would need to be convinced that there have been changes in the company. "I'd have to think about it and be convinced that the culture has changed," Ott told Newsweek during an interview Monday on the prospect of a judge ordering Boeing to make accommodations for his return.
"If the culture changes and they would embrace people with blindness working for them, I'd love it. Who wouldn't want to change an hour-plus commute to five minutes and double their pay?" The lawsuit comes after Ott received an offer of employment as a machinist at Boeing's plant in Everett, Washington, in late September 2023, days after a job fair he attended with his wife, according to a lawsuit filed last month in Snohomish County Superior Court. "During this interview, Mr.
Ott's blindness was apparent, due to his use of a white cane and assistance from his wife, Lindsay Ott," the lawsuit reads. Days later, Ott received an offer from Boeing via email, but the position had been changed to "composite fabricator." Ott tried to retain the initial "machinist" offer but accepted the different role, according to the suit. Boeing declined to provide a statement in response to Newsweek's inquiries regarding Ott's lawsuit but insisted in court documents filed August 7 that it demonstrated "good faith efforts" throughout the hiring process to reasonably accommodate Ott without creating an undue hardship for the company.
Ott, whose vision started deteriorating in his 30s as a result of the rare genetic disease retinitis pigmentosa, says he proceeded to complete all necessary paperwork for the position, including a health questionnaire disclosing his blindness. He also indicated that he'd likely need a closed-circuit television device when Boeing reps later contacted him regarding accommodations, the lawsuit alleges. Ott said that the devices had allowed him to work as a machinist at the Lighthouse for the Blind, a Seattle-based nonprofit that trains and employs people with disabilities.
He had worked there since 2014 as a machinist—producing parts for Boeing— according to Ott's lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Seattle on July 31. Boeing later expressed "safety concerns" during a call with Ott as he awaited a start date, asking him to cite nearly 10 years of machinist experience without injury, according to the lawsuit. The company then offered a start date of January 19, 2024, according to Ott's lawsuit.
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