Four former Washington, D.C., police officers are suing their old department, saying it regularly violates the Americans With Disabilities Act and forced them to retire over mental or physical illnesses.
The federal lawsuit filed Thursday against the District, department and its chief alleges the department pushed out disabled officers without trying to accommodate them by providing extended leave or changing their responsibilities, WTOP-FM reports. It seeks a jury trial.
Department policy forced employees into disability retirement if they were on less than full-duty status for 172 cumulative work days over a two-year period for an injury or disability suffered outside work, the lawsuit alleges. One of the former officers says the department also made improper medical inquiries and imposed improper medical examinations on him.
The officers, who have since left the District and now live in Texas, Maryland or Georgia, were expected to recover within months of their retirement.
The police department said it doesn't comment on pending litigation. The report doesn't include comment from the other defendants.
