CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
An animal care and control worker in Chicago spends years on light duty after a work injury, so how in the world did he dead-lift 100 pounds at an interview for a new job?
Noe Garza, 51, told his bosses he couldn't lift more than 30 pounds. They were surprised to discover he had applied for a job as a detention aid with the Chicago Police Department earlier this year, and successfully passed a physical that required him to dead lift 100 pounds.
"It was just picking up from the floor to my waist, that's all," Garza said.
Former Animal Care and Control Director Cherie Travis fired Garza with the city's backing in February. Garza is now back on the job, after an arbitrator sided with him last month-- in large part because Garza claims Travis encouraged him to apply for the police position, and told him not to worry about lifting the hundred pound weight.
"Categorically, unequivocally, that's false," Travis said.
For some reason, the city never called Travis as a witness in that arbitration hearing.
"Had I been contacted, which I never was, I would have cooperated with the city," she said.
Not only did Garza get his job back, he also got nearly $27,000 in missed pay. He told us he's still hurt.
"My neck hurts. I had surgery on my neck, and on my rotator cuff," Garza said.
The city says in a statement Garza has three weeks to take a new physical. If he passes it, he'll have to give up his light duty assignment and go back out on the streets as an animal control officer.
