Court Opinion

ID: 9476280
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 05:52:04.758094+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:45:13.659658
License: Public Domain

GEORGE CLIFTON EDWARDS, Jr., Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
This is a whistle blower case. On its facts as pled, I believe that plaintiffs may have a cause of action under In re Quarles, 158 U.S. 532, 15 S.Ct. 959, 39 L.Ed. 1080 (1895) and Williams v. Allen, 439 F.2d 1398 (5th Cir.1971), and the grant of summary judgment should be reversed.
In Williams v. Allen, the Fifth Circuit said:
Williams contends the “trial” before the Police Committee was prompted by the exercise of his informer’s right and the other charges against him, although factually supportable, were superficial and would never have been brought but for his act of informing the Internal Revenue Service concerning the alleged lottery payoffs to the Chief of Police. The issue is thus not whether other valid reasons for removal existed, but whether the valid reasons were actually employed by the Police Committee to effect Williams’ severance from the department. The order granting summary judgment deprived Williams of the opportunity to attempt to establish that the sole actual motive behind his dismissal was an illegal one and that the other legitimate charges of misconduct actually played no part in his discharge from employment. (Footnote omitted)
It is true that Williams does not support the plaintiffs’ specific claim to a cause of action under the privileges and immunities clause. However, as the majority states, it does support the plaintiffs’ theory that they have a constitutionally protected right not to lose their job for “blowing the whistle” to federal authorities. The proper statute under which to plead their cause of action is § 1983. See Williams at 1400 and see 820 F.2d at 760.
I would remand the case to the District Court with instructions to allow the plaintiffs to amend their complaint to bring this suit under § 1983.