Six years ago, Hemanth Kappanna was part of a team of engineering students that raised the first red flags about Volkswagen Group’s diesel cheating. This past February, his employer, General Motors, laid him off.
The hero engineer made headlines for his work with other students for bringing VW’s diesel emissions scandal to the forefront. Today, VW Group has spent over $33 billion in fixes, buybacks, and fines after its cheat was discovered. Although he and his fellow students didn’t accuse VW of any wrongdoing, it was Kappanna’s work that brought the emissions scandal to light for California and U.S. regulators to take notice. The New York Times reported on Kappanna’s doings since then, and on his eventual dismissal from GM.
The engineer was part of a team in Milford, Michigan, that communicated GM’s doing with the EPA. He worked to ensure the automaker met stringent requirements the government imposed following the VW scandal, ironically. Yet, GM named him as one of the thousands of white-collar workers laid off from their positions earlier this year. The layoffs were part of a North American restructuring as GM looks to save billions come next decade. The layoffs also coincided with four U.S. plants idling and thousands of blue-collar positions eliminated.
Kappanna said in the story he wonders if he was seen as too compliant with federal regulators, which may have placed him on the layoff list. He said he very well could have been seen as biased, though there’s zero proof and Kappanna isn’t claiming as such. The engineer, born in India, was on a work visa while part of GM. Since he was unable to find a new job before a 60-day grace period, he had to return to India after spending half of his life in the U.S.
He hopes to one day find a new position within the auto industry, though amid a projected slowdown, Kappanna remains skeptical.
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Source: The New York Times
Comments
Or it could just be engineeres with an expertise in small Diesel engines aren’t in big demand these days.
I was wondering why this was even an article. Then I saw the author and learned the subject was an immigrant and it all became clear.
We are all immigrants or the generational children of immigrants. Even so called ‘Native Americans’ are not natural to this land.
We are all from somewhere else and that migration trail leads back to the continent of Africa.
Get over yourself. You are only ‘entitled’ to “Life – Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”
National entities and borders are contrived political sets. In a truly modern, holistic world, there would only be cultural areas. No countries. No borders. Until then, man will never be truly free.
Yeah. Let me know when the middle east is done chopping the heads off of innocent people, then maybe I’ll open the borders. Get over yourself, kid.
How convenient, Yee of limited cognitive ability running on ignorant emotions.
The US has killed thousands to millions of “innocents” and is still doing it today.
Grow up. Probably not a chance of that. The type of brain fever you have is rarely cured. There would have to be something to work with first.
Regards
“The US has killed thousands to millions of “innocents” and is still doing it today.”
The holy-lands have had rivers of innocent blood for centuries, and is also doing so to this day.
And yes, I can and will compare the totalities of all atrocities committed by a first world nation like the United States to the totalities of all atrocities in a region of the world that has only ever known theocratic rule, and still hold the United States in a higher regard and as a higher standard of humility and quality of living.
Miss me with that theocratic garbage.
Just chiming in so that Hoffa can help me understand the “white mans” place in history; he seems very intelligent. Specifically, can you spend a few minutes talking about the genocide of Native Americans, the Holocaust, possibly slavery, and if you have a few minutes extra, talk about the White American Christian? I think the White American Christian will be the most entertaining, their “war” is so touching. Many thanks for your valuable time. Trump voter I can assume right?
> thinking whites default to Christianity.
You’ve got lots of growing up to do.
Immigrants as Imported Tech Labor here’s a perspective. My former employer of 45 yrs, a company in Webster, NY, brought over several plane loads of Tech Workers from India. I have no clue if they paid state or federal or FICA taxes or not. I’m guessing also that as “contract workers” that wage and labor laws weren’t a worry for the contracted company. My concern is for the welfare of these workers and their families they left behind in India and as well for the workers and families and communities of the workers they displaced in this wildly vulgar race to the bottom. We all loose in this “brain drain” as the wealth of experience, wisdom, and creativity is exploited for the basest of motives the Quarterly Bonus Check.
Great, he was from India? Get ready for GM to be accused as racist
And what ‘Race’ would Mr. Kappana be?
a non “angry white male”
H1B. Almost all of them were laid off
Just another minion in the tidal wave of Indians. Now he has a chance to help his home country.
Buh bye!
how much as the air improved since the these companies paid the big fines ?? it is all about govt collecting big money fines.
go to india and see what the air quality is like w/o the regulations like those here in the united states.
i was there for two weeks in the “silicon valley” of india that is bangalore and it was pretty damn bad.
i really noticed it when i got home and smelled the clothes in my luggage. they smelled like exhaust spewed from the auto-rickshaws you see everywhere.
I dont think you can compare the exhaust emissions of a 2 stroke scooter to a late model diesel car or truck.
This is what big companies do. Every 5 years or so the will layoff all contractors and hb1 employees. Meet there goal of cost cutting to get the big bonus and then spend the next 5 years replacing everyone they got rid of.
Yeah,
I’m in Australia working for a multinational and you just explained my company’s philosophy.
Being a real hero has its serious downsides.
Where is the love people?
Wouldn’t want him on my team either. Hero engineer, roll eyes.