Mayor Sues Compton Over Disability Pay

Alleging that the city of Compton refused for 18 months to honor his disability claim, Thousand Oaks Mayor Michael Markey has again filed suit against his former employer.

Markey, a former police officer in South-Central Los Angeles, was shot during the 1992 riots after suffering back injuries in the 1980s. He won a settlement late last year after a lengthy court battle against Compton for his disability and retirement pay.

Now the mayor, who served as head of the police union during his tenure with the force, said he will pursue “penalty” damages against Compton to chasten the city for payments he says have been delayed.

Under state workers compensation laws, an employee may attempt to penalize his employer as much as 10% of his total award if the employer acted in bad faith or refused to honor a claim, knowing that it was legitimate.

The amount Markey is owed remains uncertain, he said, because of a complicated retirement formula that will determine the value of his claim. His case is expected to be heard in November.

Compton city officials denied the city had acted inappropriately.