By FireRescue1 Staff
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A fire captain terminated in 2012 will have his case heard by the state’s highest court.
The Spokesman-Review reported that Capt. Jon Sprague will go before the Washington State Supreme Court to argue his case later this year. Capt. Sprague, who led the Spokane County Christian Firefighters Fellowship group, sent emails related to the group to colleagues using the department’s email system – even after he was told not to. He was disciplined multiple times before being fired.
Capt. Sprague’s firing was upheld by the department’s Civil Service Commission; he filed a suit against the department in Spokane County Superior Court. He argues the department violated his First Amendment rights. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, citing that Sprague should have appealed the commission’s decision rather than file a suit.
The Washington State Court of Appeals upheld the decision.
However, Judge C.J. Fearing wrote in a dissent that the health and wellness emails the department sent were no different than Sprague’s. Both examples did not involve fire department business.
“The Spokane Valley Fire Department had no compelling, let alone important, interest in restricting Jonathan Sprague’s speech,” Fearing wrote.
Sprague said he’s optimistic about getting his job back.