Fired ISU Coach Advances Lawsuit Over ‘All Lives Matter’ Sign

Illinois State University officials failed to shake off retaliation claims by the football team’s former offensive coordinator who says he was terminated for posting an “all lives matter” sign on his office door, after a federal court found he was engaged in private speech protected by the First Amendment.

When a public employee makes a statement pursuant to their official job duties they aren’t protected by the First Amendment, Judge James E. Shadid of the US District Court for the Central District of Illinois said Thursday.

But head coach Brock Spack, then-athletic director Larry Lyons, and current athletic director Kyle ...