Supreme Court of the United States
Connick v. Myers
April 20, 1983461 U.S. 138
Summary
The Court held that the discharge of a public employee for distributing a questionnaire about internal office affairs did not violate the First Amendment. Most of the questionnaire concerned a personal employment dispute rather than matters of public concern, and the single question that did address a public concern was outweighed by the employer's reasonable interest in preserving authority, discipline, and close working relationships. The Court therefore reversed the judgment granting the employee relief.
Holding
- Whether the questionnaire addressed a matter of public concern. Most of the questionnaire concerned internal office matters arising from Myers' personal dispute over her transfer and therefore was not speech on a matter of public concern. The question asking whether employees felt pressured to work in political campaigns did address a matter of public concern.
- Whether the discharge was justified under the balancing of employee and employer interests. The discharge did not violate the First Amendment because the limited protected speech was distributed in the workplace amid a persistent transfer dispute, and the employer reasonably believed the questionnaire would undermine authority, disrupt the office, and damage close working relationships.
Docket 81-1251
Cited authorities
- CA10
- 42 U.S.C. § 1983
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