The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Rory Gray regarding a friend-of-the-court brief ADF attorneys filed Wednesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Hussey v. City of Cambridge, a case involving a police officer suspended for sharing his view on police reform legislation on his personal Facebook account during his own time:
“Everyone should be able to speak freely without fear of punishment for expressing a view the government disagrees with. As we explain in our brief, the First Amendment prevents the government from needlessly punishing ordinary employees like Mr. Hussey for expressing views on hot-button topics outside of work, on their own personal platforms. Millions of civil servants can’t be deprived of their right to speak on political or religious matters simply because their views might offend someone. We are urging the 1st Circuit to hold the city of Cambridge responsible for this violation of Mr. Hussey’s constitutional right to free speech.”
ADF filed the brief on behalf of ADF client Andrew Fox, a former volunteer chaplain for the Austin Fire Department whom city officials fired after he shared his religious views on his personal blog.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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Rory Gray
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