Kilgore Flares Co.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Kilgore Flares Co. under the Americans with Disabilities Act in the US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee in Jackson. The suit alleges discrimination in the defense weaponry manufacturer's hiring practices, stating the company uses a nerve test to determine a candidate's risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, which is used to determine which people it hires. Test results are used to rate job applicants as either having no restrictions as to where they work, or that it is inappropriate for them to work in "highly wrist-intensive" jobs. The complaint states Kilgore violates the Americans with Disabilities Act because it requires a person who's hired to fall into the no restriction category. The plaintiffs contend that the test has a low predictive value for determining carpal tunnel syndrome, and is many times wrong and may open the door to forced genetic exams for purposes of hiring discrimination.