A state board in Connecticut has ruled that the City of Newtown must pay long term disability to a police officer who hasn't worked since the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The State Board of Mediation and Arbitration ruled that the police contract requires the town to pay Officer Thomas Bean 50 percent of his salary until he retires, according to The Hartford Courant.
The long term disability payments to be made to Bean total just more than $380,000.
The town's insurance carrier is currently paying 50 percent of the officer's salary through June, but the police union and town officials agreed to go begin payments now rather than wait until the insurance payments stopped.
"The union is happy with the decision. Not only is it a victory for the union, but a victory for the integrity of the collective bargaining agreement," Union President Scott Ruszcyk said. "Tom was not looking for a handout, he was simply looking for the town to live up to its contractual obligations."
The 38-year-old officer has been out on long-term disability with PTSD since the school shooting where 20 first graders and six adults were killed by Adam Lanza.
