Former City Worker Sues City of Tampa for Firing Him Over Confederate License Plate

AP ^ | 03/12/2003

[Phlap]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A former city worker who was fired for refusing to remove a Confederate flag license plate from his truck is suing the city of Tampa.

In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, Larry A. Carpenter, 47, said his First Amendment right to free speech was violated when he was fired over the dispute.

Carpenter was ordered in January 2002 to remove the license plate or park his truck off city property. He refused to do either, was cited for insubordination and was fired from his job as a traffic maintenance specialist in the Public Works Department.

Carpenter's attorney, J. Benton Stewart II, said his client, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, is proud of his heritage and merely wants the city to develop a written policy that is uniformly applied.

Stewart said other city workers who drive vehicles with bumper stickers bearing political slogans and offensive statements are allowed to park on city property.

Messages left with City Attorney Jim Palermo were not immediately returned. Carpenter declined to comment on the lawsuit Wednesday.

[Phlap]

This one is for all you rebels.

[eyespysomething]

Rebels hell. Try free speech. Is there a precedent for other symbols/political speech, etc being allowed? Then he has a case. And it sounds like a hate crime also ;-)

[wardaddy]

BTTT

[wardaddy]

Ping

[FreeTally]

Dumb move by the city of Tampa.

[Arkinsaw]

Whatever happened to the Golden Rule? It requires one to walk in the other guy's shoes. How do you think seeing someone flying the Confederate flag affects black people? We may have the right to fly the flag, but that doesn't mean we should do it, or encourage it. In fact, anyone who followed the Golden Rule would discourage it. Slavery was the shame of our nation, and the Confederate flag is too closely associated with that shameful institution to be dissociated in the name of Southern heritage. There are other ways to celebrate Southern heritage without using that symbol.

In your opinion. However your opinion does not extend to the front of this man's truck.

[JebBush2008]

So you are willing to defend this Tampa man's right to free speech at the workplace? Great, I understand that but how to you feel about the woman in Nashville that was fired for sending Anti-War E-mail on her work computer?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/861677/posts?q=1&&page=101

[Shethink13]

How do you think seeing someone flying the Confederate flag affects black people?

How many black people living today are former slaves?

[dixierose]

There are other ways to celebrate Southern heritage without using that symbol.

Tell me how....Some people are hollering about a Robert E. Lee statue in my hometown. If we "give up" the flag as a "symbol", "they" (whoever the heck they are) will just try to take away ALL of our "symbols" by painting them as racist.

[AppyPappy]

A corporation can do this. The government cannot.

[dixierose]

Apples and oranges....this is the man's PERSONAL truck.

[Constitution Day]

Heads up!

[Bush2000]

I agree, to a point. I think it boils down to common sense and realistic sensitivity. For example, I think that we would all agree that displaying a Nazi swastika would be offensive to nearly all of us. It's certainly your right to display one; however, in society, sometimes your right matters less than trying to find a way to coexist with other people peaceably. Some people seem incapable (or unwilling) of distinguishing between the two.

[JebBush2008]

Carpenter was ordered in January 2002 to remove the license plate or park his truck off city property.

Read the fine print. The county never said that he could not have the plates on his truck but that he could not park the truck on County Property. Much like the woman in Nashville could not sent Anti-War e-mails on or from company property.

[eyespysomething]

That's good and all, but then any personal expression, of anything, would require the same treatment, right?

[hoosierskypilot]

How do you think seeing someone flying the Confederate flag affects black people?

That's ancient history! Black people in America had better be very grateful for slavery in America. If it weren't for slavery in America, today's blacks would be scratching around some third world country to survive. As it is, all things being equal, today's blacks fare better than today's whites.

If you doubt this, I suggest you read Myths That Divide Us, by John Perazza.

[Iconoclast2]

You seem to defend a monstrous evil that elevates concern only for the feelings of Leftists/designated victim groups. Would you defend the firing of an employee for putting a "Darwin/fish" sign on the back of his truck? Such a firing is unimaginable in today's climate, because some are more equal than others.

[John123]

That's good and all, but then any personal expression, of anything, would require the same treatment, right?

Absolutely, the article mentions that the rule wasn't applied consistently. I think Tampa is going to lose in court.

[Xenalyte]

Wasn't necessarily her work PC. The article states that "Saviano got the letter at her personal e-mail address," which can be accessed from home or work.

The article says that she was fired because "Saviano put her company name on her e-mail," making her e-mail seem corporately sanctioned.