NORFOLK, Va. (AP) – A Virginia man is suing a railroad company after he says it rescinded a job offer because he’s overweight.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Friday that Matthew Sturgill is suing Norfolk Southern, claiming the company offered him a conductor job that paid about $70,000 a year.
Sturgill claims the offer disappeared after an executive saw Sturgill’s physical exam. The 32-year-old is 5 feet, 10 inches tall (1.5 meters) and weighs 305 pounds (138.35 kilograms). That’s considered obese using the standard body mass index.
The former high school football player says he’s not “a couch potato” but “just a big guy.” His suit alleges discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Norfolk Southern spokesman Tom Werner says the company’s policy is to “act in a lawful and non-discriminatory manner at all times.”
