Opinion ID: 35226
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Freeman's Retaliation Claim

Text: 24 Freeman challenges the dismissal of his retaliatory transfer claim on qualified immunity grounds. Federal courts employ a two-step inquiry to determine whether the individual defendants are entitled to qualified immunity: First, whether the facts alleged, taken in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, establish that the officers' conduct violated a constitutional right; second, if a violation of a constitutional right occurred, whether the right was clearly established at that time. See Price v. Roark, 256 F.3d 364, 369 (5th Cir.2001). The district court found, under the first stage of this inquiry, that Freeman's constitutional right to free speech was not violated. We agree. 11 25 To sustain a § 1983 retaliation claim, Freeman must establish: (1) the existence of a specific constitutional right; (2) the defendant's intent to retaliate for the exercise of that right; (3) a retaliatory adverse act; and (4) causation. See Woods v. Smith, 60 F.3d 1161, 1166 (5th Cir.1995). The key question, in the instant appeal, is whether Freeman's public criticism of Chaplain Horton was protected by the First Amendment. If the inmate is unable to point to a specific constitutional right that has been violated, the claim will fail. Jones v. Greninger, 188 F.3d 322, 325 (5th Cir.1999) (citing Tighe v. Wall, 100 F.3d 41, 43 (5th Cir.1996)). 26 The Supreme Court has admonished that inmates do not forfeit all constitutional rights when they pass through the prison's gates. Jones v. N.C. Prisoners' Labor Union, 433 U.S. 119, 137, 97 S.Ct. 2532, 2544, 53 L.Ed.2d 629 (1977) (Burger, C.J., concurring); Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 545, 99 S.Ct. 1861, 1877, 60 L.Ed.2d 447 (1979). However, the Court is equally cognizant of the inherent demands of institutional correction, the deference owed to prison administrators, and the subjugation of individual liberty that lawful incarceration necessarily entails. See Jones, 433 U.S. at 132, 97 S.Ct. at 2541 (recognizing that prison administrators may curtail an inmate's ability to exercise constitutional rights to prevent disruption of prison order, ensure stability, or to advance other legitimate penological objectives of the prison environment). As a result, a prison inmate retains those First Amendment rights that are not inconsistent with his status as a prisoner or with the legitimate penological objectives of the corrections system. Pell, 417 U.S. at 822, 94 S.Ct. at 2804; see also Jackson v. Cain, 864 F.2d 1235, 1248 (5th Cir.1989) (A prison inmate is entitled to his First Amendment right to freedom of expression so long as it is not inconsistent with his status as a prisoner and does not adversely affect a legitimate state interest.) (citations omitted). 27 Freeman contends that the defendants violated his First Amendment right to criticize Chaplain Horton publicly. Freeman does retain, in a general sense, a right to criticize prison officials. Woods v. Smith, 60 F.3d 1161, 1164 (5th Cir.1995); Gibbs v. King, 779 F.2d 1040, 1046 (5th Cir.1986) (quoting Ruiz v. Estelle, 679 F.2d 1115, 1153 (5th Cir.), opinion amended in part and vacated in part, 688 F.2d 266 (5th Cir.1982)) ([P]rison officials [are] prohibited from `retaliation against inmates who complain of prison conditions or official misconduct.'). But, to succeed, Freeman must do more than point to the existence of a generic First Amendment right. He must also establish that he exercised that right in a manner consistent with his status as a prisoner. 28 In Adams v. Gunnell, 729 F.2d 362, 367-68 (5th Cir.1984), a prison disciplined inmates for collaborating in a prison-wide petition. While recognizing that prisoners may exercise a variety of First Amendment rights, the court reasoned, nevertheless, that where internal grievance procedures are available, a prison may proscribe the use of internally circulated petitions if it believes they contain the potential for inciting violence. Id. at 368 (citing Jones, 433 U.S. at 128, 97 S.Ct. at 2539). Adams thus confirmed the prison's authority to circumscribe the manner in which a grievance or criticism right is exercised. 29 The present case is no different. Prison officials may legitimately punish inmates who verbally confront institutional authority without running afoul of the First Amendment. See Goff v. Dailey, 991 F.2d 1437, 1439 (8th Cir.1993) (recognizing that a prison has a legitimate penological interest in punishing inmates for mocking and challenging correctional officers by making crude personal statements about them in a recreation room full of other inmates). As in Adams, internal grievance procedures remained open to Freeman, and in fact, Freeman availed himself of this process to express his theological disagreements with Chaplain Horton. Freeman chose, however, to go further and publicly remonstrate concerning Horton's departure from the faith, theological errors, and leading of the prisoners into views contrary to Church of Christ doctrine. His conduct amounted to a public rebuke of Chaplain Horton, a member of the prison administration's staff, and was intended to, and did, incite about 50 other prisoners in a walkout from the church service. Therefore, the manner of Freeman's statement was inconsistent with his status as a prisoner and is not afforded First Amendment protection. 12 30 Because Freeman has not demonstrated a violation of his constitutional rights, summary judgment was properly awarded to the defendants.