PITTSBURGH – A former Pittsburgh firefighter claims the city has wrongfully withheld $20,000 he's owed for unused sick time because he criticized city street crews in a TV news interview just days before he retired.
City solicitor Dan Regan says David Cerminara's federal lawsuit is under review.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the 56-year-old retiree sued over remarks he made to KDKA-TV. Cerminara told a reporter he thought it was "stupid, and a waste of taxpayer money" when he was asked in May about lines painted on a city street near the fire station, which were removed hours later so the street could be repaved.
Cerminara's lawsuit contends city public safety director disciplined Cerminara for speaking to the media without permission, even though his remarks didn't involve his firefighting job, and has withheld his sick pay as a result.
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