New York Policeman Asks to Add Free-Speech Claim to Suit

By Bob Van Voris - Wed May 09 19:22:34 GMT 2012

A New York police officer who claims he was locked in a psychiatric ward after documenting corruption in the department told a judge he wants to amend his $50 million lawsuit against the city to add a claim that his free speech rights were violated.

A lawyer for Adrian Schoolcraft asked U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet today for permission to change his clients complaint to include a claim the city violated his right to go public with reports that officers were told to falsify crime and arrest statistics.

He was speaking out to the public about a matter of public concern, Joshua Fitch, the lawyer, said in a hearing today in Manhattan federal court.

Schoolcraft, who sued the city in August 2010, said police officials illegally tried to intimidate him and retaliate after he revealed an alleged policy requiring officers to boost arrests, falsify reports and suborn perjury to manipulate crime statistics.

Fitch said in an interview outside court that the city violated Schoolcrafts free-speech rights by trying to prevent him from reporting the misconduct internally and blocking him from talking to the press.

William Fraenkel, a lawyer for the city, told Sweet that reporting misconduct is part of a police officers job, and therefore isnt covered by the First Amendment.

Sweet didnt say when he will rule on Schoolcrafts request.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.

The case is Schoolcraft v. The City of New York, 10-06005, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

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New York Policeman Asks to Add Free-Speech Claim to Suit