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Amputee wins discrimination case against FBI

On Behalf of | Aug 15, 2013 | Workplace Discrimination

Michigan readers may take an interest in the following account of an amputee who recently won a discrimination case against the FBI. The man was asked to leave training camp allegedly over concerns about his ability to shoot a gun because he has a prosthetic hand. The man alleged that he was the victim of workplace discrimination by the FBI.

The plaintiff lost his hand in 2004 when a defective stun grenade detonated while he was holding it in his left hand. In 2005, the man left the army in pursuit of his dream to become an FBI agent. He was offered a position as a special agent in 2009 by the bureau and reported for duty on January 30, 2011 for basic training.

The plaintiff claimed that he was treated as an outsider by staff and was forced to complete additional tests that were not given to the other trainees. In addition, he developed his own technique for shooting five rounds with his non-dominant hand. He was told by the FBI that it did not approve of the manner in which he was shooting and required him to shoot with his right hand.

A federal jury found that the FBI was wrong for ejecting the veteran from training camp and awarded him $75,000 in damages. A federal judge will determine whether the man should be reinstated to the FBI academy for special agent training.

Employees have the right to work free from discrimination. A Michigan attorney with a background in employment law might be able to secure an award for victims of workplace discrimination. When a workplace discrimination lawsuit is successful, it may have the effect of discouraging future discrimination as well.

Source: Court House News, ” Amputee Veteran Nails FBI on Discrimination “, Jack Bouboushian, August 12, 2013

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