Interesting LTTE (not mine): Pendleton violates First Amendment

Pendleton violates First Amendment

While working on Camp Pendleton as a federal employee, I submitted a letter to the Letters to the Editor section of the newspaper expressing my personal opinions about a local congressman. A colonel told me that the base did not want me writing letters that disagreed with someone involved in funding for the base.

When I wrote a letter expressing my opinions about federal policies, Camp Pendleton initiated an investigation and asked me if my letter went through the chain of command. I filed a complaint at the Equal Employment Opportunity Office on base for violation of my civil rights. My complaint was never investigated even though I gave the base EEO manager a copy of the illegal investigative questionnaire.

Pendleton officials were eventually able to destroy my federal career by ordering me to work against my physician's orders while I was ill. However, they were never able to intimidate, threaten or coerce me into giving up my First Amendment rights.

Camp Pendleton's efforts to rescind my constitutional rights had nothing to do with national security or the protection of the base. It was an open abuse of power and authority.

(snip)

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/06/08/opinion/letters/6_7_0620_57_54.txt (and scroll down)

IIRC, Congress took up the issue of restricting speech of federal employees.

...

SCOTUS - http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus31may31,0,1570961.story
Court Curbs the Speech of Public Employees
Justices rule that the 1st Amendment doesn't shield public-sector whistle-blowers.
By David G. Savage, Times Staff Writer
May 31, 2006


WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday restricted the free-speech rights of the nation's 21 million public employees, ruling that the 1st Amendment does not protect them from being punished for complaining to their managers about possible wrongdoing.

Although government employees have the same rights as other citizens to speak out on controversies of the day, they do not have the right to speak freely inside their offices on matters related to "their official duties," the high court said in a 5-4 decision.
<snip>

So...it's not the same as in being a whistle-blower in this situation. But note this paragraph in the piece: "However, lawyers for city and state agencies said the decision will prevent routine internal workplace disputes from becoming federal court cases."