Lawsuit reveals why longtime Red Wings Zamboni driver was fired

Al Sobotka was a fixture at Detroit Red Wings games for over 60 years. Hired at 17 years old, he worked his way up through the organization while being involved in a few different positions to eventually oversee a crew of 70 people at Little Caesars Arena. In February, Sobotka, now 68, was abruptly fired from the position with very little said about why. Now we know.

According to a lawsuit filed against the team by Sobotka, he was fired after another employee saw him urinating in an ice pit between two Zambonis. In court documents filed by his lawyers, Sobotka stated he has a condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy which causes the frequent and uncontrollable urge to urinate. The closest facility at the time of the incident was 60 to 70 feet away. The area with the ice pit is off limits to the public. On February 17th, two days after the incident, Sobotka was called into a meeting with his supervisor and a human resources representative and suspended for a week. Later on, he was fired completely.

The lawsuit seeks an undisclosed amount of money for compensatory damages claiming Sobotka was discriminated against because of his age and condition. It also asks that he be given his job back and that a declaration be made by the court that he was discriminated against. The lawsuit refers to him as a "staple of the Detroit hockey community." He would often be seen at playoff games twirling an octopus around to get the crowd fired up.

"(Sobotka) was at all times qualified to perform the essential functions of his job," the lawsuit reads. "(Sobotka) was terminated, at least in part, for his disability."

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