(FORTUNE Magazine) – Kevin Killoran was 5 feet 9 inches and weighed 180 pounds when he joined the Florida Highway Patrol 12 years ago, but his weight climbed. Supervisors warned him that unless it dropped to patrol standards, he faced dismissal. In the spring of 1984, after he had tipped the scales at 300 pounds and had undergone stomach-stapling surgery to reduce his intake of food, Mr. Killoran lost his job. He sued the state, contending that the dismissal broke federal laws intended to protect the physically impaired. Last February, in a settlement of the case, he got back his job . . . but was assigned to a desk position . . . Mr. Killoran . . . says he would rather be on patrol. -- From an article in the New York Times.