A government employer can violate an employee’s constitutional rights by acting based on incorrect information that, if true, would violate the U.S. Constitution, even though the employee was not actually exercising his or her constitutional rights, the U.S. Supreme Court has held in a 6-2 decision. Heffernan v. City of Paterson, No. 14-1280 (Apr. 26, 2016).
Home > Federal Law Articles > Human Resources > Free Speech Protections > Supreme Court: Government Employer’s Incorrect Belief About Employee’s Activity Matters in First Amendment Analysis