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San Jose board denies disability retirement for former airport public information manager
Summary
Trustees denied Rosemary Barnes’ application for a service‑connected disability retirement, concluding the City could have accommodated her single permanent work restriction (left‑ear protection above 85 dB) as of her separation in March 2020.
Rosemary Barnes, a former City of San Jose public information manager, asked the Federated Retirement Board on Dec. 16, 2025, to approve a service‑connected disability retirement for hearing loss she said developed during 16 years working on the airport airfield and in office spaces near aircraft.
Barnes said her left ear is “more or less deaf” and that prolonged exposure to jet engines and airfield operations contributed to the loss. "It contributed to real and measurable damage to my hearing and I think it should be treated with the same seriousness as any other service related injury," Barnes told trustees during a formal, time‑certain…
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