$4M Verdict: Chevron Loses Disability Bias Suit to Employee
Table of Contents
Case Background
A Los Angeles jury delivered a staggering verdict against energy giant Chevron U.S.A., Inc., finding the company responsible for discriminating against a long-term, high-performing employee after medically disqualifying him from a lucrative overseas promotion. The case centered on Mark Snookal, a veteran engineer who had spent over a decade building a distinguished career at Chevron's El Segundo refinery. The legal battle, captioned Mark Snookal v. Chevron USA, Inc., unfolded in the United States District Court for the Central District of California under case number 2:23-cv-6302-HDV-AJR.
Cause
The core of the dispute involved a dream promotion that Chevron had offered to Mr. Snookal in 2019: the Reliability Engineering Manager (REM) position in Escravos, Nigeria. This senior role a Grade 22 salary position with eligibility for a quick promotion to Grade 23 came with a 55% boost in base pay, additional rotational assignment compensation, and a schedule requiring work for only six months of the year, providing a better work-life balance for Mr. Snookal and his family. He had gladly accepted the offer.
However, before the scheduled August 2019 start date, the company required Mr. Snookal to undergo a mandatory medical screening. Mr. Snookal had already managed an asymptomatic and stable dilated aortic root with medication. While an initial company-selected doctor had cleared him as "fit for duty" with minor, irrelevant restrictions, a subsequent review by a Nigerian physician, Dr. Eshiole Asekomeh, deemed him "not fit for duty" for the assignment. Chevron immediately rescinded the job offer, citing his failure to pass the Medical Suitability for Expat Assignment (MSEA) requirement for the remote job site.
Injury
Following the rescinded promotion, the company had already filled Mr. Snookal’s previous team lead position. Although he applied for three other qualified positions within Chevron, the company did not select him for any of them. Faced with no path forward, Mr. Snookal asserted that Chevron constructively terminated his employment, leaving him with no choice but to resign for the sake of his health and career. He ultimately accepted a n
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