He says 3M ignored his accommodation request and harassment report, then fired him
A Texas worker says 3M rejected his mental health accommodation request with a "wheelchair ramp" remark - then fired him weeks after a harassment report.
A former 3M Coater Operator filed suit in federal court on April 30, 2026, accusing the company of disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, sexual harassment, retaliation, and FMLA violations - a multi-count complaint that lands squarely on HR's desk.
John R. Coulter started at 3M's Brownwood, Texas plant in August 2017, according to the filing. He has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, conditions he says substantially limit sleep, concentration, and stress management. He asked his employer to cap his overtime at seven to eight hours a week and supported the request with medical documentation.
The accommodation meeting on April 21, 2023, which the complaint describes as recorded, sits at the center of the case. According to the filing, management rejected the request, said mental health conditions were not covered, and asked, "Do you want a wheelchair ramp." The complaint alleges management refused to engage in the interactive process and threatened to "separate the work employer-employee relationship."
From there, the complaint describes a pattern running from approximately 2020 through 2024. Coulter says he was subjected to forced overtime, denied shift swaps that other workers received, and reassigned to night shifts outside the company's internal realignment procedures. His use of intermittent FMLA leave, he alleges, was met with reprimands, conflicting instructions, and verbal warnings. He raised these issues with supervisors, HR, and Corporate HR Investigator Ashley Zwier, according to the filing.
The harassment claims escalated in late 2024. On November 20, 2024, Coulter says he was subjected to unwelcome sexual touching on his inner thigh and vulgar, sexually explicit gestures by coworkers in the Makers 35/36 unit. He reported it in writing to local HR and corporate representatives the next day. According to the complaint, 3M did not investigate, did not interview witnesses, and took no corrective action.
The next sequence is the one HR leaders will want to read twice. On December 6, 2024, the filing says, 3M issued an AWOL notice that retroactively marked Coulter absent beginning November 21 - the same day he reported the harassment. He was terminated on December 12, 2024, without, the complaint alleges, an investigation of his harassment complaint, a response to his accommodation request, or consideration of his leave-related concerns.
Coulter also alleges 3M's employee records contain no documentation of any of his complaints, even though he kept text messages, audio recordings, and written communications.
He filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission covering disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, sexual harassment, and retaliation, and received a Notice of Right to Sue before filing suit. He is seeking back pay, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, FMLA liquidated damages, reinstatement or front pay in lieu, and attorney's fees.
The allegations have not been tested in court. 3M has not yet filed a response, and no court has ruled.
