FLEOA Scores Legal Victory for Agents with Hearing Loss
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) National President Nathan Catura released a statement earlier this week that detailed a settlement impacting agents with hearing loss.
Read the full letter from Catura to FLEOA members below:
"I would like to bring to your attention a legal victory that our outside counsels, Kathy Butler, Rod Tanner, and Robert Griffin recently settled with the Department of Justice, the U.S. Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the IRS Criminal Investigative Division (CID). This is a significant development because this settlement will have a far reaching impact on many of our members.
Several years ago, IRS CID Agency President Kirk Peifer brought to my attention an issue of serious concern. CID arbitrarily decided to enforce a previously unaddressed hearing standard for agents. This resulted in the unfair separation of three special agents. Peifer, Pat O’Carroll, and I immediately requested a meeting with then-IRS CID Chief Richard Weber who listened to our concerns, but, explained that he was enforcing a Departmental directive. After numerous attempts to resolve this issue informally, we referred the issue to our outside counsel.
At the end of 2018, a settlement was reached. Beginning this year, all three special agents were reinstated with back pay. In addition, they will now be allowed to take their annual physical hearing test using hearing aids which is now allowed by many law enforcement agencies. This ruling will set precedence [sic] for all of our members facing administrative actions as a result of hearing loss caused by our employment.
There are still many hardworking and highly qualified special agents besides CID agents being impacted by this policy. If you or a friend/colleague is impacted please reach out to attorneys Butler, Tanner & Griffin at (713) 526-5677 or kathy@butlerharris.com to discuss your situation. FLEOA will continue our unwavering support to ensure proper representation for all special agents impacted by these capricious and unfair policies."