Philadelphia Resolves Ex-Worker’s Speech Retaliation Claims

The City of Philadelphia will pay a former employee $40,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging a city official terminated him for not supporting his 2023 election campaign.

Judge Kelley B. Hodge, of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, issued a judgment in the case after Ian L. Ewing informed the court that he had accepted Philadelphia’s offer earlier this month. Ewing sued the city and John B. Sabatina—Philadelphia’s current register of wills—in October 2024, claiming he experienced retaliation in violation of his First Amendment rights.

• Ewing’s complaint alleges Sabatina fired him after he assumed office in ...