Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563 (1968) This case developed the Pickering Test for public employers. This test balances the right of the public employees to speak on matters of public concern against the employer's interest.
Garcetti v. Ceballos, 547 U.S. 410 (2006) First Amendment protections apply only to a public official's speech in a private context rather than during the exercise of his duties.
Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138 (1983) In determining a public employee's rights of free speech, the problem is to arrive "at a balance between the interests of the [employee], as a citizen, in commenting upon matters of public concern and the interest of the State, as an employer, in promoting the efficiency of the public services it performs through its employees."
Garcetti v. Ceballos, 547 U.S. 410 (2006) First Amendment protections apply only to a public official's speech in a private context rather than during the exercise of his duties.
Givhan v. Western Line Cons. Sch. Dist., 439 U.S. 410 (1979) Teacher's private complaints to principal regarding racially disparate impact of school district policy, however intemperately expressed, were protected speech on a matter of public concern for which she could not be terminated by her public employer.
Waters v. Churchill, 511 U.S. 661 (1994) Where public employer has reasonable belief that speech by employee on matter of public concern could reasonably disrupt employer's operations, employee's First Amendment rights are not violated by adverse action and trial of fact is not necessary to determine actual content of speech.
Private Employers
Public Employers