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ROY JOHNSON, Plaintiff-Appellant
vs.
CITY OF FORT WAYNE INDIANA FORT WAYNE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF CITY OF FORT WAYNE INDIANA PAUL W. HELMKE as Mayor of the City of Fort Wayne Indiana et al., Defendants-Appellees.
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Issues:
Fourteenth Amendment, due process, civil rights, public employee, policy and procedure, safety, random drug testing, union issues.
Case Summary:
Roy Johnson, an officer with the Fort Wayne Fire Department, appeals a lower court's ruling in suit against the department. Johnson, an African-American, claimed a series of demotions he received were racially motivated. The department argued the demotions were justified and filed a motion for summary judgment.
Decision of lower jurisdiction:
The U.S. district court for the Northern District of Indiana granted the fire department's motion for summary judgment. The court noted that Johnson's complaint was unfocused. Johnson now appeals.
Outcome:
Split decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed, reversed, and vacated various elements of the lower court's decision. The court of appeals remanded the case for additional action.