FEDERALSupreme Court of the United States
1996

Board of Comm'rs, Wabaunsee Cty. v. Umbehr

135 L. Ed. 2d 843Supreme Court of the United States • Decided 1996Affirmed
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HOLDING

A trash hauler in Kansas criticized his government client publicly and the county terminated his contract in retaliation. The Supreme Court ruled that independent contractors have First Amendment protection against government contract termination based on their speech about public concerns. The court applied a balancing test to weigh the contractor's free speech rights against the government's interests. This means government agencies cannot simply fire contractors for speaking out on matters of public importance, even though contractors don't have the same job protections as employees.

KEY FINDINGS

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You cannot be terminated from a government contract solely for criticizing the government on matters of public concern—the First Amendment protects you

FULL COURT OPINION