A New York Public Library employee, weighing 163 kg, has filed a lawsuit seeking $4.6 million in damages, alleging that being forced to work at an inadequately sized desk caused him physical and emotional trauma. William Martin, a 6-foot-2 library information assistant, claimed the desk at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on Fifth Avenue was too small for his frame.
In a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, he described the first-floor service desk as “crampy” due to its swaying countertop with a 12-inch drop. “All I sought was just a service desk with the appropriate accommodation given my physical attributes,” Mr Martin said in his legal filing, as per the NY Post.
Mr Martin’s issues began in October 2021 when he was assigned to the desk in question. After raising concerns, his union intervened and arranged his reassignment to other desks. However, in June 2023, a new assistant director reportedly reassigned him to the same problematic desk.
The lawsuit claims this decision was “detrimental to his health and safety” and alleges that the director increased Mr Martin’s desk assignments to intimidate him.
Mr Martin was later accused of sleeping on the job, which he denied, calling it a “false” claim. The suspension that followed led him to request a transfer and medical leave for anxiety and depression.
The lawsuit claims the emotional toll on Mr Martin has been severe. He reportedly “trembles” at the thought of returning to work, and his mental health has “been damaged to such an extent” that he can no longer function in his role.
Martin, who once ran a blog titled “300lbsofsportsknowledge,” is now asking the court to compel the library to grant his leave request and approve the monetary compensation.
A spokesperson for the New York Public Library dismissed the lawsuit as “without merit,” saying, “We take employee accommodations and concerns with utmost seriousness and are dedicated to treating our staff across the Library with fairness and respect.”
The case remains ongoing.