A Utah truck driver is suing FedEx because he says the shipping company fired him over his thick Russian accent.
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Driver, Ismail Aliyev, has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against Memphis Tennessee-based FedEx and a long-haul contractor, the company that did the firing.
Ismail said he offered to meet with corporate brass to demonstrate his English speaking ability, but it was no use he was fired anyway.
It all started when Ismail was driving along a stretch of Utah highway when he came upon a Way Station. The Way Station agent actually issued a warning to FedEx because of Ismail’s Russian accent citing his ability to communicate.
“I think for a driver, my English is not too bad,” said Aliyev, now an independent trucker, adding, “It really does hurt.”
“FedEx just decided they didn’t want to deal with him, or even talk to him,” said Ismail’s lawyer. The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount for lost wages and punitive damages.