First Amendment Retaliation

First Amendment Violations

The First Amendment of the United States' Constitution prohibits retaliation for speaking out on matters of public concern, and litigation in this field is a particular passion of Loevy & Loevy. Contact us to discuss your potential First Amendment freedom-of-speech lawsuit.

Recent interesting examples of our lawyers' work in the defense of our clients' freedom of speech include:

James McGreal: Alsip Officer James McGreal was a "whistleblower" who exposed a video poker ring with alleged ties to the Town Mayor, whereupon the Town tried to fire him. Judge Norgle granted summary judgment, but the Seventh Circuit reversed and remanded the case for trial before Judge Conlon. McGreal v. Ostrov, 368 F.3d 657 (7th Cir. 2004). At the close of the Plaintiff's evidence, before the case went to the jury, Defendants settled the case for $900,000.

Hanania v. Betty Loren-Maltese: Our clients were the Cicero government officials who first brought public attention to the widespread corruption in the administration of Cicero Mayor Betty Loren-Maltese. Ms. Maltese called our clients liars and promptly fired them for daring to accuse her of improprieties. Ms. Maltese, however, has since been indicted and then convicted for the very same corruption about which our clients spoke out. After seven years of litigation, our retaliation lawsuit settled for $250,000 plus attorneys fees.

John Jarecki: After attempting to unionize the Romeoville Police Department's lieutenants, Lt. Jarecki earned the wrath of his boss, who then tried to terminate Jarecki's 25-year career. The alleged "offense" was Jarecki's decision to allow a dispatch operator to crochet to stay awake during a slow graveyard shift, a charge so bizarre it made the front page of the Chicago Sun Times. After the circuit court affirmed the Police Department's termination decision, we succeeding in getting the case reversed by the Illinois Appellate Court, Third District, after which the case settle favorably.

Michael Johnson: A former Proviso East assistant basketball coach, Mr. Johnson had the courage to speak out about the violent tendencies of its high-profile coach, Chris Head, who was physically abusing students in his drive for more wins. After Mr. Johnson spoke out, Proviso terminated his teaching and coaching positions (claiming "differences in coaching philosophies"), but Coach Head his since been charged with criminal battery against a student athlete. The 1st Amendment retaliation lawsuit settled favorably.

Loren Stenson: You may remember Betty Loren-Maltese's highly publicized attempt to embarrass her then-political opponent, Joseph Moreno, by having him followed and arrested for DUI as he drove home from a party in Chicago. Our client, Mr. Stenson, is the officer who was instructed to make the arrest by Loren-Maltese's cohorts, and he was fired for later cooperating with the federal authorities investigating the matter. His lawsuit recently settled for $110,000 plus attorney's fees.

Don Shaw: Don Shaw’s lawsuit, filed in 2003, alleges that he was dismissed from his post as St. Charles Chief of Police in retaliation for refusing to ignore the former mayor’s illegal favoritism towards campaign contributors. In December 2004, Shaw’s suit was dismissed on the Defendants’ motion for summary judgment. However, Shaw filed a motion to reconsider and, in July of 2005, the Court reversed itself, reinstated Shaw’s case, and set his claims for jury trial in January of 2006. Shaw v. Klinkhamer, et al., 2005 WL 1651179 (N.D. Ill., July 1, 2005). The case has since settled for more than $300,000.

David Ireland: Former candidate for mayor in Bellwood was harassed and falsely arrested for speaking out critically about the incumbent during the campaign. The case recently settled favorably for a confidential sum.

Contact us for your free initial consultation to discuss your possible legal remedies for 1st Amendment violations.