A former Charles Schwab advisor said he was wrongfully terminated by the firm after it mistook his slurred speech, a side-effect of medication, as a sign of drunkenness.

In the lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Robert Dugan, of Gilbert, Ariz., said the firm failed to accommodate his disability, which he described as “generalized anxiety disorder”, a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the suit said.

Dugan, who had been a private client advisor with Schwab from Nov. 15, 2021, to March 16, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz., according to the filing, claimed that on March 14, he took the prescribed drug, clonazepam, to relieve his anxiety, during a flight for a work event in San Diego. He said he was not scheduled to work the day of the flight and did not drink alcohol the day of the flight.

But he said following the flight, Schwab accused him of alcohol use before and after the flight and fired him two days later, while declaring, “He could not take medication that affected his cognitive abilities.”

In June 2022, Dugan filed a discrimination claim with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which in September 2023 gave him the go ahead to sue.

In an email, a spokesperson for Schwab said, “We are committed to building, maintaining, and protecting our dynamic and diverse organization and culture. We dispute these claims and will defend ourselves in court.”

Dugan noted in the lawsuit that Schwab was well-aware of his disability. He said personnel were notified of his disability before his employment began, and on two other occasions, they were told that he suffers from the disorder, according to the lawsuit.

Schwab “failed to accommodate plaintiff disability … and did not engage in the interactive process as required by the ADA,” the suit said.

Dugan, the lawsuit claimed, suffered embarrassment, humiliation, mental and physical anguish, and monetary damages because of the discrimination and termination. He is seeking punitive and compensatory damages. “The economic and emotional injuries have resulted in damages in an amount to be proven at trial,” the lawsuit said.

Dugan could not be reached for comment. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing Services since December 2022, according to BrokerCheck. He began his career with Vanguard in 2011.