Be Rid Of This Disease

In what some folks might list under the category of Unmitigated Gall, Bradley Thoma files a $4 million claim against the City of Spokane for wrongfully firing him.

Bradley N. Thoma, 44, was fired Monday after refusing an offer from Chief Anne Kirkpatrick to accept a layoff and be eligible to be rehired as a detective if he completes a court deferral program for his drunken driving charge.

That offer came after Kirkpatrick ruled that Thoma was unable to work as a police officer under the court program because it requires him to have an ignition interlock device on his car.

But that decision was wrong because it didn’t consider Thoma’s alcoholism as a disability, said Thoma’s lawyer, Bob Dunn.

“This is about as unfair an employment practice as I’ve seen in a long time,” Dunn said. “The only thing I can think of that’s more unfair is firing someone who has cancer.”

If there's a video I would be keen on shooting, it would be of Sgt Thoma starting a police cruiser by blowing into the ignition interlock device. What an excellent way to reinforce the Spokane Police Department's notoriety as exemplified by the events involving Otto Zehm, Shonto Pete and Josh Levy.

Now according to Thoma's attorney the city could only be more unfair by firing someone who has cancer. There's no need for someone to start a fund raiser because he's already doing that to the tune of $4 million.

So who will start the prayer chain for Bradley Thoma?