AUBURN – A Lewiston man has filed a civil suit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., claiming the company failed to provide accommodations for his disability.

Jonathan Richards claims in his lawsuit filed in Androscoggin County Superior Court that he began working as a “people greeter” at the Auburn Wal-Mart store in June 2004.

The suit claims he had a physical disability, described as swelling in his left leg and recurring cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin that causes swelling.

The suit alleges that at some point.

At some point during his employment at Wal-Mart, Richards asked for a “reasonable accommodation” for his disabilities: to be allowed to stay out of the flow of customer traffic as much as possible to avoid being bumped in the leg, which could cause an injury.

Wal-Mart denied the request. Richards then asked to be reassigned to an open position in the store. Wal-Mart denied that request, too, and Richards was let go in December 2006 “because of his disability and his need for reasonable accommodation.”

He claims the discrimination violated the Maine Human Rights Act and that Wal-Mart acted with “malice and/or reckless disregard for Mr. Richards’ rights,” causing lost income, inconvenience, humiliation and loss of enjoyment of life.

Richards is seeking an unspecified amount of compensation for past and future injuries and damages, plus lawyer’s fees, punitive damages, litigation costs and interest.

Wal-Mart had not filed a response to the claim on Thursday. A phone call to the company’s corporate headquarters in Bensonville, Ark., for comment on the lawsuit was not returned.