Justices say vet who lost job as Texas trooper can sue state

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has allowed a former state trooper to sue Texas over his claim that he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq. The justices ruled Wednesday for Army veteran Le Roy Torres under a federal law that was enacted in 1994 in the wake of the Persian Gulf war to strengthen job protections for returning service members. By a 5-4 vote, the high court rejected Texas’ claim that it is shielded from such lawsuits. Torres says he suffered lung damage from exposure to open burn pits on his base in Iraq.