Illinois Official Stuck With Suit By Workers Fired Over Politics

A local government official in Milton Township, Ill., must face a lawsuit brought by a group of workers who say he fired them for supporting his political rival, because he should have known that firing them would violate their constitutional rights, the Seventh Circuit ruled Tuesday.

Chris LeVan, who was elected as Milton Township Assessor, was accused of firing several deputy assessors who supported his predecessor in the position. The former government employees sued LeVan alleging a violation of their First Amendment rights.

LeVan sought to dismiss the claim based on qualified immunity, but the district court rejected that bid, ...