In a dramatic legal filing, a former employee has taken his battle to court against a California-based corporation, alleging a series of serious workplace violations. Arturo Valencia Valdovinos filed the complaint on October 23, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, accusing Eligius Manufacturing Inc., doing business as Schaper Construction Inc., of disability discrimination and other related offenses.
The lawsuit chronicles Valdovinos’s employment journey with Eligius Manufacturing from January 4, 2022, until his abrupt termination on October 25, 2022. The narrative centers around an incident on October 5, 2022, when Valdovinos sustained a severe eye injury while grinding metal at work. Despite wearing company-issued safety goggles, which he claims were defective, metal shards penetrated his right eye. The plaintiff alleges that his supervisor directed him to seek treatment only at a specific health center and refused to cover medical expenses elsewhere. This refusal allegedly forced Valdovinos to pay out-of-pocket for urgent surgery performed by Dr. Robert E. Neger.
Valdovinos contends that following his injury and subsequent medical leave advised by Dr. Neger and other healthcare professionals due to ongoing vision issues and pain, he faced undue pressure from his employer to return to work prematurely. His attempts to comply with medical restrictions were met with hostility; upon returning to work still suffering from impaired vision, he was assigned heavy workloads contrary to medical advice and was subjected to public humiliation by his supervisor Ricardo Sandoval.
The complaint further accuses Eligius Manufacturing of failing in its duty under California law to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It details how management ignored Valdovinos’s reports of unsafe working conditions and retaliatory behavior from supervisors after reporting his injury and seeking accommodations for his disability—a direct violation of the Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA). Instead of addressing these concerns through an interactive process or providing reasonable accommodations as required by law, the company terminated Valdovinos’s employment under what he claims are false pretenses.
In seeking justice through the court system, Valdovinos demands compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress caused by what he describes as malicious conduct by Eligius Manufacturing Inc. He also seeks punitive damages intended to punish the company for its alleged willful disregard for employee rights under FEHA. The case underscores significant allegations against corporate practices concerning employee safety and anti-discrimination laws.
Representing Arturo Valencia Valdovinos is attorney Robert Montes Jr., from Rafii & Associates P.C., known for their commitment to excellence in legal representation. The case is presided over in the Superior Court of California with Case ID: 25CV478369.
Source: 25CV478369_Arturo_Valencia_v_Eligius_Manufacturing_Complaint_County_of_Santa_Clara_California..pdf
