A Suffolk County police lieutenant who was disciplined for using a department computer to share with the media his opinions on a major case and a policy controversy had his First Amendment retaliation claim reinstated by a federal appeals court.
But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit also said that Suffolk County may have a defense against claims that Lt. Raymond Smith suffered retaliation by being transferred to a non-supervisory position, because his discipline may have been the result of other transgressions not involving protected speech.
