Judge Allows Fired Florida Biologist's Free Speech Lawsuit To Proceed

(Tallahassee, FL) -- A federal judge has allowed most of a First Amendment lawsuit to move forward from a former Florida wildlife biologist who says she was fired over a social media post. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled the claims against officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can proceed, finding the lawsuit plausibly alleges retaliation for protected speech. The biologist was terminated after reposting content on her personal Instagram account following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The judge dismissed a portion of the case seeking monetary damages but allowed claims seeking reinstatement to continue.