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Firm wins favorable ruling in Free Speech case for contractor fired for making peace video

April 4, 2014

Heller, Huron, Chertkof, and Salzman represented Melodi Navab-Safavi, a contractor for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) who was fired after appearing in a music video protesting the Iraq war.  The Court sided with Melodi and denied the defendants' motion to dismiss, so Navab-Safavi's case against the BBG will proceed.

In her opinion, Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle wrote:

[T]he law is settled that as a general matter, the First Amendment prohibits government officials from subjecting an individual to retaliatory actions . . . for speaking out.  In particular, it has long been established that public employees do not surrender all their First Amendment rights by reason of their employment . . . [A] citizen who works for the government is nonetheless a citizen.

See DailyKos coverage and video here.

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