He says he had approved FMLA leave - then HR started asking about old absences
A former Subaru of Indiana Automotive employee says the automaker fired him for using approved disability leave - days after he tried to file an internal complaint.
Tate Compton filed the lawsuit on May 8, 2026, in the US District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. He worked at the company for roughly five years, starting as a temporary employee in or about June 2020 and converting to a full-time Associate in or about May 2021. He has narcolepsy.
To manage the condition, Compton says he took prescribed medication daily at around 4 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. and napped during his lunch period. The company knew about the medication schedule, the complaint says, and approved his request for intermittent FMLA leave in or about March 2025. He used that leave between March and July 2025 for reasons including brain fog and fatigue, running out of medication, and brief pauses in his medication ahead of other prescribed treatment.
Then, according to the filing, HR began asking questions.
On or about July 15, 2025, two HR employees - identified in the complaint as "Logan" (last name unknown) and Associate Relations specialist Christina Whitley - questioned Compton about absences from two months earlier. He says he told them he had just taken his medication, had just woken from his nap, and was not in the right state of mind to answer. He asked for time to respond.
That request was denied, the complaint...
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