Ex-Dougherty County deputy sues for $500,000 over being fired for racially charged social posting
ALBANY — Former Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Frank James Harris has filed a $500,000 lawsuit against current Dougherty Sheriff Kevin Sproul for alleged First and 14th Constitutional Amendment violations, according to attorney James Finkelstein.
Reports indicate that Harris’ employment with the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office was terminated in January 2016 after he posted a racially charged Facebook post on his personal social media page.
“When we looked at the social media site when this first came out, we totally 110 percent felt like we were in the right for the actions we took,” Sproul said. “When we received the ante litem notice (indicating a pending lawsuit), our attorney told us not to even respond because he didn’t have any grounds to stand on and that we were completely within policy.”
According to Finkelstein, Harris’ attorney, the former deputy’s termination violated his right of free speech and violated his right of equal protection under the law.
Read more: http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/ex-dougherty-county-deputy-sues-for-over-being-fired-for/article_8820e777-cd59-5cf2-9442-d93699a0f6b2.html