The Firehouse Lawyer Newsletter

Results for newsletters with the topic “First Amendment” and the subtopic “Free Speech Rights of Public Employees

DescriptionVolume_IssueYearMonthPDF
Today we discuss holding annual public hearings on the budget, and the resolutions which should result from those hearings; free speech rights of public employees under the First Amendment; videotaping in the workplace and the Fourth Amendment problems that may cause; the liabilities that may come with running youth and cadet programs; and conditional offers of employment under the ADA. 06-12200612v06n12dec2006.pdf
This is a big one. Today we address the Garcetti decision from the United States Supreme Court, which held that a public employee's speech rights are limited when talking about matters related to their official duties; we also talk about whether interlocal agreements must be filed with the state auditor or if there are alternatives to that requirement. 06-0620066v06n06jun2006.pdf
The Public Duty Doctrine is an incredibly important doctrine that protects fire districts and other municipal corporations from liability, and today we discuss the doctrine and the many exceptions to it; then we look at some cases of interest from the US Supreme Court involving sexual harassment, freedom of speech, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.02-0719987v02n07jul1998.pdf
As 2016 draws to a close, let us consider our responsibilities to the public we serve, and our respect for individual human rights: Today we discuss an important Washington court case related to the use of taxpayer dollars, the right of a person not to associate with a union based on religious beliefs, and an important First Amendment case out of federal court. 14-12201612December2016FINAL.pdf
2018 begins with a discussion of free speech in public employment; self-reporting de minimis violations of safety rules; websites and "places of public accommodation"; past practices, "joint employers" and employee handbooks on basis standards of civility; we also discussion a Washington court case that sets back firefighters. 16-0120181January2018FINAL.pdf
Public-employee unions are now unable to collect "fair share" fees from members of a bargaining unit who do not wish to be associated with a union, due to the Janus opinion from the United States Supreme Court. 16-6E20186June2018Janus.pdf
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