No. 23-326

Vanessa A. Phillips v. Macon Bibb County Government

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2023-09-29
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: at-will-employment breach-of-contract civil-rights defamation due-process employee-handbook employment employment-termination first-amendment free-speech unemployment-benefits
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw ERISA DueProcess
Latest Conference: 2023-11-17
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the At-Will employment statute shelters the employer, Macon-Bibb County Government (MBCG), from the First Amendment's 'unprotected speech

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED 1. Whether the At-Will employment statute shelters the employer, Macon-Bibb County Government (MBCG), from the First Amendment’s “unprotected speech”, when a) Deceit and untruths are utilized for cause of termination in order to b) Affect the Petitioner outside of the workplace by guaranteeing her denial of her unemployment insurance benefits , since c) The At-Will employment statute does not specifically prohibit defamation. 2. Whether breach of contract occurred when the Petitioner requested a hearing ; (within the prescribed time), per the employee handbook, where precise instruction and language stated that a hearing ‘shall’ be ; conducted once requested, was not conducted.

Docket Entries

2023-11-20
Petition DENIED.
2023-11-01
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/17/2023.
2023-10-17
Waiver of right of respondent Macon Bibb County Government to respond filed.
2023-08-11
2023-05-23
Application (22A1012) granted by Justice Thomas extending the time to file until August 14, 2023.
2023-05-19
Application (22A1012) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from July 13, 2023 to September 11, 2023, submitted to Justice Thomas.

Attorneys

Macon Bibb County Government
Kathryn S. WillisJame Bates Brannan Groover LLP, Respondent
Vanessa Phillips
Vanessa A. Phillips — Petitioner