A 12-minute wait, then a walk past coworkers and a string of write-ups, the complaint says
A Subaru production associate says the company denied him an emergency restroom break, then penalized his attendance after he soiled himself.
That is the account laid out in a lawsuit filed July 3, 2026, against Subaru of Indiana Automotive in the US District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. The worker is asking for a jury trial, and his complaint lands squarely on two things HR teams manage every week: disability accommodation and medical leave.
The employee has worked as a production associate at the plant since March 2022, according to the filing. He says he has recurring pancreatitis with necrotizing pseudo-cysts, a condition he says damaged his pancreas and led to a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis in November 2025. He was approved for intermittent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the complaint says.
The episode at the heart of the case allegedly unfolded on July 16, 2025. The worker says he was walking to his workstation when a pancreatic attack hit. He told his group leader he needed an emergency restroom break connected to his FMLA condition, and, according to the complaint, she told him to wait for another team lead. He says he called the plant's help-request system, waited twelve minutes, and soiled himself before anyone came.
The aftermath is what should stop HR leaders. After the worker cleaned up and wrapped his soiled clothing in paper towels, the...
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