Circuit Upholds Firing |Of Threatening Officer

BOSTON (CN) – The **1st Circuit has upheld the firing of a corrections officer who bristled when a superior questioned his use of sick days and said, “You captains and deputies are gonna get shot.”     **Joseph Curran ‘s statement caused him to get canned by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. Curran then filed a lawsuit accusing the department of violating his right to free speech.     The circuit held that the firing was based on unprotected speech, because the danger to the department outweighed Curran’s free-speech rights. See ruling.