A former Lenovo salesman is suing his ex-company for $1.5 million, alleging discrimination after being fired for peeing in a public area of a hotel in Times Square, New York City.
Richard Becker attended a business meeting with his ex-colleagues at a restaurant twelve blocks from The Westin New York, where the employees were staying.
Highlights
- Richard Becker, a former Lenovo salesman, is suing for $1.5 million after being fired for urinating in a hotel public area.
- Becker, 66, alleges discrimination, claiming Lenovo knew of his chronic bladder condition but terminated him anyway.
- Becker's work at Lenovo led to 200% business growth and multiple awards, according to the lawsuit.
The 66-year-old says that he couldn’t make it to his room because of his bladder issues, so he had to “discreetly urinate” in the hotel’s “vestibule.”
Image credits: Lenovo
A Lenovo vice president who watched the scene quickly informed the Human Resources Department about his behavior, a decision Becker believes was made “out of spite and malice.”
The former salesman was fired four days later. Now, he’s seeking damages of at least $1.5 million, alleging that the tech company knew of his bladder condition and that his termination constitutes a form of discrimination.
Richard Becker suffers from a chronic medical condition that causes him to urinate frequently
Image credits: KE ATLAS/unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Image credits: Dexon Dee/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)
“With knowledge of Becker’s bladder condition (a disability under the law), Lenovo summarily terminated Becker because he suffers from that condition, following an incident that had no impact on Becker’s job performance or Lenovo’s business,” the lawsuit reads, as per The Post.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday (August 23) in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Becker says he relieved himself in the Westin New York's vestibule after coming back from a business meeting
Image credits: The Westin New York at Times Square/TripAdvisor
Image credits: FABIAN PONCE GARCIA/stock.adobe.com (Not the actual photo)
Becker has suffered from a chronic medical condition that has caused him to urinate frequently since 2016.
His ex-colleagues were aware of his condition and allegedly “poked fun at him for how frequently he needed to use the bathroom.”
Becker went to the bathroom five times during the business meal. When he arrived back at his hotel, he only made it “as far as the hotel vestibule, a deserted area located on a different floor from the lobby,” the lawsuit mentions.
“At that point, embarrassed, panicked, and faced with an emergency, Becker had no choice but to discreetly urinate on the ground behind a column in the vestibule.”
He is seeking $1.5 million in damages, claiming that he was discriminated against and that Lenovo workers were aware of his condition
Image credits: The Westin New York at Times Square/TripAdvisor
A worker at the Westin New York told The Post that the hotel has no space known as the “vestibule.” The only public spaces with columns are the first-floor entrance or the concierge desk on the second floor. Additionally, the lobby has bathrooms.
According to the lawsuit, the 66-year-old joined the Chinese multinational as a Global Account Sales Executive in 2022. His work led to a 200% growth in business and helped the company win several awards, including a trip to Costa Rica.
Becker said that Lenovo understood that his behavior was caused by his disability and alluded to instances where the company dealt with “far worse conduct,” like when a drunk Lenovo employee stuffed a colleague inside a toy vending machine in 2021.