Opinion ID: 816115
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: conclusion

Text: Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the district court is hereby AFFIRMED. 3 The hearing officer who conducted Garcia’s disciplinary hearing for the El Coqui incident found that “Garcia’s statements to the press were totally inappropriate and violated the media policy of the Hartford Police Department.” Chief Croughwell concurred with the findings and imposed a 30-day suspension. This suspension (which was fully litigated as to just cause in the Connecticut state courts) fails to show that Garcia’s comments to the press were a motivating factor in Chief Croughwell’s decision not to promote Garcia. At the time he made that decision, Chief Croughwell explicitly told Garcia that he was concerned about his various pending disciplinary charges and investigations, including the pending charges relating to his failure to intervene in the El Coqui incident and pending investigations into the threats made against Garnett and potential violations of Connecticut election law, none of which involved an alleged exercise of Garcia’s free speech rights. Specifically, Chief Croughwell noted that it would “embarrass” the Hartford PD if Garcia was promoted and those disciplinary charges were substantiated. Accordingly, there is nothing that suggests that it was not “objectively reasonable” for Chief Croughwell to believe that he was acting lawfully by exercising his discretion not to promote Garcia on these grounds. See Gubitosi v. Kapica, 154 F.3d 30, 33 (2d Cir. 1998) (reversing denial of qualified immunity on summary judgment for police chief accused of retaliation in violation of First Amendment where plaintiff failed to identify evidence in the record suggesting police chief fired her for engaging in protected speech, as opposed to for her disciplinary violations). -18-