Jason Vular believes that he is a victim of discrimination. The former sergeant of the Harmony Township police department in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, claims that he was fired not for his race (which is white) or his sexual orientation (which we could not find confirmation of), but because he is an alcoholic.
According to reports by the [Beaver Countian](https://beavercountian.com/content/cops-courts/former-police-sgt-files-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination-because-he-is-an-alcoholicDUI in May 2017, Vular was charged with “driving under the influence” after crashing his car into two parked vehicles outside the Tequila Cowboy Bar and Grill in North Shore while off duty. The incident cost him his position at the Harmony police department.
A year later, Vular filed a federal lawsuit claiming that he was fired discriminately for his disability, citing that he suffers from ADD… “alcohol dependency disorder.”
Vular claimed that his diagnosis came along with depression, anxiety, and compounded PTSD. According to his lawsuit, his disability developed following the tragic, near-fatal shooting of former Harmony officer Alan Loskoch, 41, in 2015. The victim’s body armor is what saved his life.
In addition, Vular believed that his firing was out of retaliation against him for opposing the township’s decision to fire Loskoch and prohibit him from collecting retirement and medical benefits. However, Loskoch tells a different side of the story.
“He did everything but support me,” [Loskoch told the Beaver Coutian about Vular. “](https://beavercountian.com/content/cops-courts/former-police-sgt-files-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination-because-he-is-an-I don’t know where he’s getting this. He’s one of the ones I was making complaints against.”
Being a victim of PTSD (as well as hearing loss and insomnia) following his shooting incident, Loskoch had a very distressed reaction when the Beaver Countian asked him about Vular’s “disability.” He claimed that Vular would harass him for having those very issues.
“He belittled me,” [he said.](https://beavercountian.com/content/cops-courts/former-police-sgt-files-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination-because-he-is-an- “Now he’s filing a lawsuit claiming he has PTSD from the incident? He wasn’t even on duty when I was shot.”
Fortunately, in October, Loskoch settled his own lawsuit with the township, allowing him to receive medical benefits. He currently works for the U.S. Post Office. However, the pain of his mistreatment by his former colleagues still remains and an alcoholic cop trying to capitalize on his tragedy does not help.
What do you think? Should we not be too quick to judge Vular and take his disability claims into consideration, or does he just give honest police officers a bad name? Let us know in the comments below!
