Disabled former cop sues over loss of job
By TRACY HARMONTHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
CANON CITY - Former police officer Roger Parsons has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Canon City alleging wrongful termination and discrimination.
Roger Parsons, 43, was fired Nov. 17, 2005, after more than 11 years on the Canon City police force. He was terminated for physical disability six months after he was paralyzed as the result of an off-duty motorcycle accident.
A lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver challenges Parsons’ firing.
"The city has consistently refused to place Parsons in a suitable vacant position for which he is qualified and have instead placed other non-disabled female individuals, both former employees and non-employees, in vacant positions while not offering to place Parsons in these positions and failing to even notify Parsons that such an open position existed and was open to him," the lawsuit states.
On behalf of Parsons, attorney John Husson of Colorado Springs is requesting a jury trial.
In the lawsuit, Parsons is seeking back pay plus interest, re-employment or a settlement in lieu of re-employment, compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief (to force the city to comply with the law), plus attorney’s fees, expenses, costs and interest.
"The city is not obligated to create a job by law but certainly to consider Mr. Parsons for suitable vacant employment. He could not perform the functions of a regular police officer, but I am really surprised the city took such a lackluster response in not working aggressively to accommodate him," Husson said.
Husson said he was a senior employment attorney for a large medical center in Pittsburg for about 11 years and said that medical center officials would have "turned themselves inside out" to re-employ someone like Parsons to ensure his employment continued.
"I am quite dissatisfied with the lackadaisical attitude in response to finding a long-term position for someone who put their life on the line every day. I am frankly surprised and it is unfortunate it came this far," Husson said.
City Manager Steve Rabe said neither he nor the city attorney will personally deal with the case.
"We have an insurance company and because we were anticipating the case, they've hired a couple attorneys in employment law who understand where we were coming from and agreed with us. They will represent us through negotiations or court proceedings - whatever it comes to," Rabe said.
Parsons said he is not allowed to comment on the case.