Opinion ID: 1356584
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendants' Alleged Adverse Actions Were Motivated by Plaintiff's Protected Conduct

Text: Plaintiff has pled sufficient facts to support a claim of adverse action and so should have prevailed on the motion to dismiss as to whether she stated a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for unlawful retaliation since she has also sufficiently alleged that these adverse actions were motivated, at least in part, by her protected conduct. It is difficult to imagine any analysis of Defendant Hudson's discussions with Plaintiff's employer that would not find his speech to be at least motivated in part, if not entirely, by Plaintiff's protected conduct. [5] Additionally, Plaintiff has sufficiently alleged that the denial of her zoning and signage variances was motivated at least in part by her protected conduct at public meetings. Therefore, Plaintiff's complaint is sufficient to show that she was engaging in protected conduct, that the Comstock Defendants took adverse action against her that would deter a person of ordinary firmness from engaging in that conduct, and that the adverse action was motivated at least in part by her protected conduct.