Opinion ID: 1248286
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether Eng Spoke as a Private Citizen

Text: The Defendants expend great effort arguing that Eng's speech with respect to the IRS leak was inextricably related to his work, and therefore that his speech was not protected because it was uttered in his capacity as public employee. But the district court determined that there is a genuine factual dispute between the parties regarding whether Eng's speech about the IRS leaks was made as part of his Task Force duties or as a private citizen. The district court's determination that the parties' evidence presents genuine issues of material fact is not reviewable on interlocutory appeal. Lee, 363 F.3d at 932. Once again, [w]here disputed facts exist,... we can determine whether the denial of qualified immunity was appropriate [only] by assuming that the version of the material facts asserted by the non-moving party is correct. Jeffers, 267 F.3d at 903. Here, there can be no doubt that Eng's version of the facts plausibly indicates he had no official duty to complain about any leak to the IRS or to authorize Geragos to speak to the press about the retaliation being taken against him.