Say what?
A police lieutenant was denied a promotion and ordered to retire after suffering an injury on the job that forced him to wear a hearing aid — much like the one worn by NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, the ex-cop charges in a Manhattan lawsuit.
Richard Yarusso, a 17-year veteran, is suing the city, saying he’s been discriminated against in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for using the device.
Noting that other cops use such aids, Yarusso’s federal court suit points out that “the NYPD commissioner, Raymond Kelly, wears a hearing aid.”
Yarusso, 43, says he had perfect hearing until he was assigned to patrol near the stage at a free concert on Aug. 24, 2009.
The music left him with “loss of hearing in his left ear,” court papers say.
He’s seeking $300,000 and a court order returning him to active duty or granting him a disability pension.