


An embattled NYPD doctor facing a slew of harassment allegations is now accused of rushing a cop back to full duty after lingering COVID complications caused him to have a stroke and heart attack, a new lawsuit charges.
Officer Girard Moscato, 57, claims in a suit filed July 31 in Manhattan Supreme Court that Dr. John Santucci went against recommendations from the cop’s cardiologist to keep Moscato on limited duty after suffering a simultaneous mini-stroke and heart attack Feb. 21, 2021.
Moscato was told “the blocked blood vessel in his brain and heart attack were likely symptoms of long form Covid-19,” the suit reads.
The cop, who joined the force in 2003, had a heart monitor installed in May 2021, forcing him out of work for two months, and was then assigned to restricted duty once he returned.
But by January 2022, Moscato claims Santucci told Moscato “he does not care” the cop’s cardiologist recommended limited duty due to the heart monitor, the suit says.
“In his role, Defendant SANTUCCI is instructed by the NYPD to not engage these employees in a cooperative dialogue to best accommodate them but rather to harass and discriminate against them on the basis of their disability,” the suit claims.
Moscato told The Post “I only saw this guy one time, he basically went against what my cardiologist wrote in a letter that I should never have gone back to full duty” — adding he “pled with him” but it fell on deaf ears.
“In my opinion because of the droves of cops leaving the job, they are so short personnel they are looking to put anyone they can to put back to full duty.,” he said.
In the suit, Moscato says he eventually couldn’t take the conditions anymore and retired in August 2022.
“The NYPD does not follow the law when they fail to accommodate disabled officers,” the cop’s attorney, John Scola said. “These failures not only harm hard-working civil servants who become disabled like Officer Moscato but will ultimately cost New York taxpayers millions of dollars as they are responsible for footing the bill for the NYPD’s continued abuse.”
Santucci faces another $5 million potential lawsuit after Officer Edward Donzelli, 30, claimed the doc demeaned and intimidated him for taking sick leave.
The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment.
The city’s Law Department, which represents the doctor, declined to comment.