Two Virginia volunteer firefighters lost in federal court when a jury ruled that their department did not violate their free speech rights in suspending one and firing the other. The two firefighters accused the department of acting to quell their criticism of decisions on equipment and funding. The jury could not find that criticism was a “substantial or motivating factor” in the disciplinary actions. (Northern Virginia Daily, October 10, 2014, by Joe Beck)
In their complaint, the two fire fighters expressed concerns that cuts in the budget made the department poorly prepared to fight fires in their jurisdiction. (Fire Law Blog, October 12, 2014, by Curt Varone)