Toledo fire lieutenant fired over social media post files suit against city—The Toledo Blade
The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department lieutenant who was fired after making a negative social media post after Charlie Kirk’s killing has filed alawsuit against the city.
The Pattakos Law Firm of Fairlawn, Ohio, filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on behalf of Jeffery Schroeder, who was fired after 28 years on the job.
Peter Pattakos, Mr. Schroeder’s attorney, alleges his client was fired “based on his constitutionally protected political speech on a matter of public concern.” . . .
He said Mr. Schroeder’s social media post “communicated his opinion that the world would be better off without Kirk’s divisive and hateful influence on public discourse.”
“This was fundamental political speech that is protected under the First Amendment,” the lawsuit said. . . .
“Thankfully in America we still have the First Amendment, which protects expressions of opinion on matters of public concern, even by public employees, and which ensures that such opinions remain protected even when highly influential political figures don’t like them,” Mr. Pattakos said in a post on his firm’s Facebook page.