Three internal grievances, all allegedly mishandled — then came the termination
A former Honeywell technician is alleging the company ran sham discrimination investigations, denied disability accommodations, and fired him in retaliation.
Antonio Deaner, who is African American, worked as a Field Service Technician II for Honeywell International in Michigan from around July 2022 until his termination on or about December 31, 2024. In a lawsuit filed on April 16, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Deaner accuses the company of race and disability discrimination, retaliation, and failure to accommodate — a combination of claims that, if proven, would paint a troubling picture of how the company handled internal complaints and medical leave.
The allegations span more than two years and touch on nearly every function an HR department is expected to get right.
According to the lawsuit, Deaner noticed as early as November 2022 that he was being passed over for overtime and special assignments in favor of non-African American colleagues, despite his seniority. When he began experiencing chest pain, trouble breathing, lightheadedness, and frequent premature ventricular contractions, things allegedly got worse. Other technicians were allowed to work from home for weather or personal reasons, but Deaner says that flexibility was not extended to him, even while he was symptomatic. He eventually went on medical leave.
While he was out, the lawsuit claims, supervisors Jeffrey Marshall and Scott Wynsma openly discussed his medical information with coworkers and said they planned to get him fired.
Between November 2023 and August 2024, Deaner filed three separate internal grievances. Each time, he alleges, the company's response fell short. The first investigation was described in the filing as a "sham." When Deaner asked for the findings, he was told — sarcastically, he claims — that "his attorney" would need to request them.
The accommodation breakdown is especially notable for HR professionals. After returning from a second medical leave in April 2024, Deaner submitted a formal ADA request on or about May 21, 2024, asking to attend medical appointments during work hours and take short breaks when dizzy. The lawsuit alleges Honeywell never granted any of those requests and never engaged in an interactive process. Instead, his medical needs were treated as attendance and discipline problems. Days after filing his second grievance, he received a written warning.
Then came what may be the most damaging allegation. On or about August 13, 2024, supervisor Marshall allegedly texted Deaner a racial slur and immediately unsent it via iMessage. Deaner reported the incident through both a formal grievance and the company's integrity hotline, and provided HR with a screenshot. The lawsuit alleges Honeywell did not take prompt and effective remedial action.
Honeywell ultimately let Deaner go at the end of 2024, citing a reduction in force. The lawsuit contends this was pretextual and that the company included him in the layoff because it viewed him as "trouble" — a word used in the filing — due to his race, disabilities, accommodation requests, and repeated complaints.
The case is Deaner v. Honeywell International, LLC, No. 2:26-cv-11254. It is in its earliest stages, and no determination has been made on any of the claims. Honeywell has not yet responded.
