Lt. Paula Kronsperger, one of the highest-profile females at the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, is out on worker’s comp as more allegations of sex-related wrongdoing rain on her.

Kronsperger, 41, the warrants and fugitives unit’s executive officer, went out on leave Oct. 11, according to PBSO spokeswoman Teri Barbera. Barbera couldn’t legally discuss the reason for Kronsperger’s temporary departure. But two sources at the department said months under Internal Affairs scrutiny and a new investigation by PBSO’s Human Resources have stressed out Kronsperger.

Four days before Kronsperger’s departure, as many as 20 of her employees descended on the office of HR honcho Joyce Stelling to file a federal EEOC complaint against Kronsperger.

Reason: Hostile work environment!

John Kazanjian, head of the local PBA police union, confirmed the existence of the EEOC complaint.

“The sheriff (Ric Bradshaw) called me to ask if I could hold off some of my members from joining the EEOC action,” Kazanjian said. “But I couldn’t do it.”

The troops, meanwhile, are grumbling that it is highly unusual for a PBSO employee to be allowed on worker’s comp for stress. Usually, stressed out employees have to use the Family Medical Leave Act.

FMLA leaves are unpaid. But because Kronsperger is on worker’s comp, PBSO continues paying her $104,000-a-year salary, Barbera confirmed.

Last month a member of Bradshaw’s cabinet, Maj. Michael Veccia, invoked the FMLA to take a leave the day he was supposed to be interviewed by Internal Affairs in connection with a hostile work environment complaint. He, too, told the brass he was stressed out.

Why the double standard? It’s nothing of the sort, Barbera said.

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Fergie: Adult diapers, please!

Under congressional fire: Miami Dolphins’ celebrity owners!

U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican from the boondocks — I mean Iowa — asked NFL Commish Roger Goodell a pertinent question in a Capitol Hill hearing yesterday.

If Palm Beacher Rush Limbaugh is too offensive to be a part-owner of the St. Louis Rams, then why are Fergie and singer/actress Jennifer Lopez?

King, who hijacked a hearing about football injuries, said: “I don’t think anything that Rush Limbaugh said was offensive, but with Fergie and with J-Lo, they have, between the two of them, alleged that the CIA are terrorists and liars. They’ve promoted sexual abuse of women. They’ve used the N-word, verbal pornography, recreational drug use, etc. And they are owners of the Dolphins. And it’s also ironic that Fergie was approved as an owner on the very day that you made your statement on Rush Limbaugh.”

JLo

And King left out a few things.

He didn’t seem to remember the time when Fergie was so drunk she peed on herself during a show. And he left out Dolphins part-owner Serena Williams, the Palm Beach Gardens tennis titan whose obscene tirade at a line judge at this year’s U.S. Open was seen by a worldwide audience.

And he’s got the JLo thing wrong. Her hubby, salsero Marc Anthony, is an owner — JLo isn’t listed on the team’s media guide as one. She does accompany him to games and often ends up in game photos.

As for Fergie, the sale of her shares into the team is pending.

Still, Goodell’s response was little else than a typical D.C. topic-shifting ploy. He talked about Donovan McNabb, the Philadelphia Eagles QB whom Limbaugh once called “overrated.”

On his Web site Wednesday, Limbaugh called Goodell a “total weasel.”

King ended his questioning by telling Goodell to listen to JLo and Fergie songs and report back.

“I’d ask you to go back and take a look at the owners of the Dolphins, and . . . the songs that they recorded, review those lyrics, and I’ll provide some of those lyric songs to you,” he said, “and I’ll ask you to come back and respond to that question after the hearing as to whether you’ll put the same scrutiny on those owners who have really shined a negative light on the NFL as opposed to somebody that the NFL apparently just doesn’t agree with his politics.”

The Limbaugh controversy erupted earlier this month when star conservative radio talker was dropped from a group of investors who bid on the hapless Rams. Goodell spoke against Limbaugh becoming an investor, as did players and current team owners — mostly for things Limbaugh may or may not have said concerning race.

Meanwhile Dolphins majority owner Stephen M. Ross, whose Palm Beach home is two miles south of Rush’s, has stocked the team’s ownership with celebrities. The roster includes tennis star Venus Williams, Serena’s sister, and Miami singer Gloria Estefan and husband Emilio. The Dolphins signed a commercial deal with Palm Beach troubadour Jimmy Buffett and had hip-hopper T-Pain redo the team’s fight song.

Said Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene: “We have no comment, except to reaffirm that our limited partners were approved through the appropriate process by the NFL.”

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Larry King

The crummy economy has put the big hurt on Palm Beach’s philanthropy biz , but someone’s thinking ahead.

Lois Pope, who’s using quite of bit of her deceased husband Generoso Pope’s National Enquirer fortune on a slew of charitable causes, has found a way to sell a few extra tables at her upcoming Life Foundation gala.

She’s offering those who have something to celebrate — say, a wedding, retirement, anniversary or birthday — to do it at her gala, Dec. 4 at Mar-a-Lago.

Some may find it tacky to celebrate anything personal at a fancy dinner with folks they’ve never met before. But, Pope says, it’s a win-win situation. Someone who couldn’t otherwise afford it is able to party in a private club with an open bar, classy food and world-class entertainment … and her charity benefits, too.

Lois Pope

CNN host Larry King is scheduled to emcee and comedian Rich Little will perform at Pope’s 16th annual Lady in Red gala, which raises money for the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., among other causes.

Is it working?

So far, so good. Pope says she sold 10 tables to a wedding party and another three for a 30th wedding anniversary. With tickets going for $500 per, that’s an extra $65,000 for Pope’s foundation.

“There’s going to be a giant cake at the entrance of the ballroom to celebrate,” Pope said. “We’re very excited. And I hope it’s going to give other organizations ideas. With the economy, it’s going to be a tough season.”

In case you’re wondering, the lucky bride on Dec. 4 is Manalapan widow Terry Ebert, who will officially marry Joseph Mendozza at Mar-a-Lago an hour before the ball. Elissa and Dominic Papparone are set to celebrate their 30th.

As for long-ago SoFla radio personality King, Pope said she landed him after he visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C.

“You can’t visit that place and leave without feeling for our veterans,” she said.

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Sam Faria

Until last week, no one outside of the Benjamin School had ever heard of Sam Faria.

The 17-year-old junior with the looks of a model was a not-so-good defensive back on the school’s average football team. His parents, unlike many at the chi-chi north county private school, aren’t on anyone’s who’s-who list.

But when the school’s administration forced the mid-season resignation of beloved head coach Ron Ream, Faria’s life changed. Faria and his family were blamed for the 30-year coach’s removal, a decision the school later reversed under pressure from powerful alumni.

“No one feels worse about the coach’s resignation than my grandson,” said Jane Larkin, the boy’s grandmother. ” Sam talked with Coach Ream on Tuesday and he told me it went well.

“We don’t have enough influence in the school to have anyone fired. We have no celebrity appeal or money to donate.”

An argument between Faria and assistant coach Tom Flynn on the sideline of a Benjamin game at King’s Academy on Oct. 9 ended with Faria pummeling the coach in the face with his fists. Flynn, 52, sustained a grossly deformed, broken nose. He’ll need plastic surgery.

Within hours, though, Ream was a goner. Ream admitted to placing his hands on Faria to discipline him during practice Sept. 30. No one was injured.

Faria, meanwhile, was arrested Monday and charged with felony assault on Flynn. He’s off the team but attends school.

His family, who was rumored to have requested Ream’s removal, has remained below the radar. But Faria’s grandmother, reached by Page2Live in her home in Delaware, said Wednesday she was too emotional to stay silent.

“We’re very upset,” Jane Larkin said. She is the mother of Faria’s mom, Wendy Faria, a United Airlines pilot who hasn’t been home in Juno Beach this week. “None of us is saying that Sam’s reaction (toward Flynn) wasn’t overblown. But he has suffered great humiliation as a result. He’s been crying. He’ll be scarred for life.

“He’s a fine, upstanding young person who’s very compassionate. If he notices an outsider in a group, he’ll do everything to bring that person in. He didn’t deserve this.”

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Chris Brown at a court hearing in June (AP Photo)

Chris Brown can be saved.

So says SoFla’s member of the Kennedy clan, Anthony Shriver.

Shriver, whose Best Buddies International raises hundreds of thousands in Palm Beach each spring, is having the man convicted of beating pop star Rhianna headline the non-profit’s Miami gala Nov. 20.

R&B singer Brown, who pleaded guilty to assault and is serving five years probation, is touring intimate clubs nationwide. He’s scheduled to play Shriver’s private shindig at the Mondrian Hotel on his way to a Richmond, Va., concert.

Shriver, the son of Sargent and Eunice Shriver and a nephew of former Pres. John F. Kennedy, founded Best Buddies 20 years ago as a college student. The group matches children with disabilities with mentors.

Is a Best Buddies gala really a good venue for Brown?

Shriver at the Best Buddies gala at The Breakers (Michele Sandberg/Special to Page2Live)

Absolutely, says Shriver. Especially since Brown joined Shriver’s cause and is donating some of the proceeds of his tour to Best Buddies.

““I support Chris Brown’s efforts to show the world why he deserves a second chance, given that the commitment he has made to Best Buddies – not only to perform at our Miami Gala, but also to join the Best Buddies family as a volunteer – is a huge step in the right direction,” Shriver told Page2Live in a e-mail.

“I also appreciate Chris’ generous offer to donate a portion of the proceeds from his tour to Best Buddies. I believe Chris’ fans will be equally inspired to support Best Buddies’ mission to provide opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities once they see his enthusiasm and commitment to the cause – and just how much his efforts mean to our participants.”

It’s unclear whether Brown actually will mentor handicapped youths.

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Ellington (Copyright Jason Myers)

How short a memory does Palm Beach County have?

A convicted felon and lawyer who resigned to avoid disbarment is being inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame.

He’s been off probation for barely three years.

Richard Ellington was nailed for his attempt to cover up a corruption scandal that rocked the county’s Housing Finance Authority in the late 1990s. Ellington was sentenced in 2004 to four months in prison, four months of house arrest and two years of probation for his fraud and conspiracy conviction.

He was accused of trying to cover up illegal payments for votes. His voice ended up on wiretaps telling an authority official not to leave a paper trail.

Still, the 61-year-old Ellington will be inducted in the spring alongside the likes of baseball great Hank Aaron, a West Palm Beach resident, New England Patriots running back and Glades Central High grad Fred Taylor, former Miami Dolphins team chaplain Leo Armbrust and Olympic equestrian Margie Engel.

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Michael Veccia, volunteering at a campaign barbecue for Sheriff Ric Bradshaw last year (The Palm Beach Post)

A top executive at the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office under investigation for sexual harassment went on medical leave on the day he was to be grilled by Internal Affairs, Page2Live has learned.

The move by Maj. Michael Veccia, a 25-year law enforcement veteran who’s a member of Sheriff Ric Bradshaw’s cabinet, delayed further an investigation that started six months ago.

A former subordinate nearly half Veccia’s age who moved in with him was questioned in the probe.

Veccia, I reported last month, was placed on administrative leave in May as Internal Affairs started interviewing 30-plus witnesses.

He had been pulling down his $156,000 salary while sitting in his Lake Worth home.

But on Oct. 1, PBSO spokeswoman Teri Barbera said, Veccia suddenly put in Family and Medical Leave Act paperwork. The federal law guarantees workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to tend to medical or family emergencies.

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Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade and his mistress, C-list actress Gabrielle Union, have tried desperately to keep their relationship a secret, but this week has been a coming out party of sorts for them.

Either that, or they’re getting careless.

First, the lovebirds were spotted in full on canoodles in a private club level suite at Land Shark Stadium during Monday Night Football, and missed long stretches of an epic game.

Then last night, although she sneaked in through the back door, Wade took Union to the yearly Miami Children’s Hospital gala — one of Miami’s biggest social rendez-vous of the year.

Wade and Union at Friday's Miami Children's Hospital gala (Michele Sandberg/Special to Page2Live)

Wade and Union, who has a recurring role in the ABC scifi series FlashForward, giggled like school kids at the table of Miami philanthropist Juan Carlos Mas. They held hands under the table, when Wade didn’t rest his left paw on her lap or sneak an occasional peck.

Wade later in the evening pronounced himself honored to be inducted in the famed hospital’s hall of fame.

Who gets in?

Wade and Union at Friday's Miami Children's Hospital gala (Michele Sandberg/Special to Page2Live)

“People who have gone above and beyond for children,” said the hospital’s VP for marketing, Jamie Holt.

Wade joins in the hall the likes of songbird Beyonce, legendary University of Miami QB Jim Kelly and actress Kelly Preston (John Travolta’s missus).

Holt tells me Wade, who obviously forgot his dinner jacket on his way to the black-tie, first came on the fund-raisers’ radars two years ago. As Wade nursed a serious injury, he quietly spent hours watching Heat basketball on television with ill children treated at the facility. Holt also cited Wade’s own charity for at-risk children, Wade’s World, as another reason for his induction.

“I was floored when I was picked,” Wade said. “A lot of people helped me when I was growing up. Helping children is in my DNA.”

Wade’s nasty divorce from wife Shiovaughn, by the way, is still pending in a court in the couple’s native Chicago. Allegations in the case include that last season’s top scorer hasn’t been seeing much of his own three young boys and repeatedly cheated on Shiovaughn. Wade is also entangled in a legal battle with a business partner who claims he rented a pad in Miami Beach for Wade where sex parties took place.

Wade's publicist, Lisa Joseph, try to hide what the world knows (Michele Sandberg/Special to Page2Live)

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Limbaugh, in his West Palm studio

New York agitator Al Sharpton has called for Palm Beacher Rush Limbaugh to resign his membership at the Everglades Club – a private club on The Island with no black members.

And Sharpton threatens to take the fight straight to Palm Beach if Limbaugh digs in.

The Rev this week pounced on the racial overtones of Limbaugh’s interest in buying the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League.

The firebrand conservative radio talker made comments over the years that have been perceived by some as racially divisive. Limbaugh, for example, resigned from his analyst gig on ESPN in 2002 for saying that the black Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb wasn’t as good as a racially conscious media perceived him to be.

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Reiter

The local legal community is abuzz with the play-by-play of an incident between a high-profile ambulance chaser and a judge — in front of a plethora of attorneys.

Joe Reiter, the co-founder of the drama-driven accident/product liability/medical malpractice firm of Lytal, Reiter, Clark, Fountain and Williams, reportedly confronted Circuit Judge Don Hafele at the staid Palm Beach Yacht Club in downtown West Palm.

Because the Oct. 1 incident involved the powerful Reiter and a judge, a half dozen eyewitnesses provided details under the condition that their names be kept confidential.

Apparently, Reiter was under the impression that Hafele did him wrong on a recent case, although the judge told a spywitness he had no idea what Reiter was upset about.

Neither Reiter nor Hafele returned calls.

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