Court Opinion

ID: 994749
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2013-07-04 00:27:36.921671+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:26:27.174382
License: Public Domain

UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

RICHARD LOCKLEAR,
Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

WHITEVILLE, N.C., The Town of, a
municipal corporation; JOHN
RAYNOR, Chief, in his official
capacity and individually; JEFF B.
EMORY, in his official capacity as
city manager and individually;
                                                                   No. 96-2642
RANDALL ARAGON, as Chief of
Police of the Town of Whiteville in
his official capacity and
individually,
Defendants-Appellees,

and

THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF
WHITEVILLE, N.C.,
Defendant.

Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at Wilmington.
W. Earl Britt, Senior District Judge.
(CA-95-31-7-BR)

Argued: March 2, 1998

Decided: April 21, 1998

Before HAMILTON, Circuit Judge, BUTZNER,
Senior Circuit Judge, and MOON, United States District Judge for
the Western District of Virginia, sitting by designation.

_________________________________________________________________
Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

_________________________________________________________________

COUNSEL

ARGUED: Woodberry Lennon Bowen, BOWEN & BERRY, Lum-
berton, North Carolina, for Appellant. Patricia Lee Holland, CRAN-
FILL, SUMNER & HARTZOG, L.L.P., Raleigh, North Carolina, for
Appellees.

_________________________________________________________________

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See
Local Rule 36(c).

_________________________________________________________________

OPINION

PER CURIAM:

Richard Locklear appeals the district court's entry of summary
judgment in favor of the Town of Whiteville, North Carolina and sev-
eral present and former officials of Whiteville* (collectively, the
Defendants) in this action arising out of the termination of Locklear's
employment with the Whiteville Police Department. Locklear alleged
seven causes of action against the Defendants, each of which has its
genesis in Locklear's assertion that his employment was wrongfully
terminated because he complained about a former supervisor's misuse
of Whiteville Police Department time cards. Locklear's causes of
action alleged: (1) substantive due process violations in contravention
of both the United States Constitution and the North Carolina Consti-
tution; (2) procedural due process violations in contravention of both
the United States Constitution and the North Carolina Constitution;
(3) wrongful discharge in violation of North Carolina public policy;
(4) occupational liberty interest violations in contravention of the
_________________________________________________________________
*Specifically, Locklear asserts causes of action against John Raynor,
former Chief of Police of Whiteville; Jeff Emory, the City Manager of
Whiteville; and Randall Aragon, current Chief of Police of Whiteville.

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North Carolina Constitution; (5) equal protection violations in contra-
vention of both the United States Constitution and the North Carolina
Constitution; (6) breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing
in violation of North Carolina common law; and (7) civil conspiracy
in violation of North Carolina common law. The district court
rejected each of Locklear's substantive claims, holding, in part, that
Locklear had not shown that his termination was causally related to
his "whistleblowing" activities.

We have carefully examined the record, the briefs, the arguments
of counsel, and the opinion of the district court. We agree with the
district court that Locklear has failed to establish any of the violations
he alleges and, therefore, affirm on the reasoning of the district court.
See Locklear v. Town of Whiteville, No. 7:95-CV-31-BR(2) (E.D.N.C.
Oct. 15, 1996).

AFFIRMED

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