Gonzalez v. Lee County Housing Authority, 161 F.3d 1290 (1998)

Citation: Gonzalez v. Lee County Housing Authority, 161 F.3d 1290 (1998)
Parent Document: Gonzalez v. Lee County Housing Authority, 161 F.3d 1290 (1998)
Jurisdiction: United States (federal)
Effective Date: 1998-12-02
Original Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/73387/gonzalez-v-lee-county-housing-authority/ ↗

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On the other hand, three unrebutted facts suggest that Gonzalez’s purpose in writing this part of the letter was to blame Moran for Gonzalez’s dissatisfaction with the stressful conditions of her own employment. First, this portion of the letter does not specifically address the legal rights of the potential tenants, but rather concerns (a) Gonzalez’s own aggravation and confusion, (b) Moran’s complaints to Gonzalez, and (c) the arguments between Moran and Gonzalez.25 Second, the *1298letter as a whole focuses on Gonzalez’s theory that Moran, by breaking rules, was harming the office environment.26 Third, Gonzalez’s “complaints ... were in large measure conveyed in light of a reprimand, still fresh, which appellant believed unfairly attributed responsibility to her____” Pearson v. Maconn-Bibb County Hosp. Auth., 952 F.2d 1274, 1278 (11th Cir.1992).27 Viewed in combination, these facts indicate that Gonzalez, even though she was involved in a continuing battle with Moran over Moran’s discriminatory directives, see infra Part IV, wrote this portion of the letter in order to “further her own private interest,” rather than “to raise issues of public concern,” Morgan, 6 F.3d at 754; see Ferrara v. Mills, 781 F.2d 1508, 1515-16 (11th Cir.1986) (holding that the public concern requirement was not satisfied where the teacher’s speech was based on the teacher’s personal concerns that collegiate registration contributed to his inability to enforce discipline).

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