Right to associate – Employees’ off-duty conduct isn’t always protected

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Abstract: When wife-swapping sheriff’s deputies were threatened with the loss of their jobs, they claimed termination would violate their First Amendment right to associate. This article summarizes the case, Coker v. Whittington, and explains why the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the deputies’ employers. Coker v. Whittington, No. 16-30679, May 23, 2017 (5th Cir.) Obergefell v. Hodges, Nos. 14-556, June 26, 2015 (U.S.)