The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that public employees are protected from retaliation when they testify in court about misconduct they observed on the job, a decision important to millions of government workers. Public employees who are called to testify are protected by the First Amendment just as other citizens are and should not have to choose between “the obligation to testify truthfully and the desire to avoid retaliation and keep their jobs,” wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that public employees are protected from retaliation when they testify in court about misconduct they observed on the job, a decision important to millions of government workers. Public employees who are called to testify are protected by the First Amendment just as other citizens are and should not have to choose between “the obligation to testify truthfully and the desire to avoid retaliation and keep their jobs,” wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor.