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Mitchell Shands, Don Key, Forrest Busch v. City of Kennett, Warren Karsten, John Mallott, Jerry Talley, John Vardell, Jingo Cole,...
Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1993) | 993 F.2d 1337
TL;DR: Volunteer firefighters were fired after asking a councilman to delay a new hire. The court held their speech was not protected because the city's interest in maintaining harmony and authority in a fire department outweighed the firefighters' First Amendment rights.
Legal Significance: This case demonstrates the significant deference courts grant to public safety employers in regulating employee speech under the *Pickering* balancing test, emphasizing the government's strong interest in discipline, harmony, and the chain of command over an employee's speech rights.