The city didn't like her Ferguson post, so they fired her. Now it must pay $1.5M

In an embarrassing verdict for the city of Charlotte, a jury Thursday found the Fire Department retaliated against former fire investigator Crystal Eschert for raising questions about the safety of construction work at a new office building, awarding her $1.5 million.

The jury rejected Charlotte’s claims that Eschert’s firing wasn’t retaliation. It also cast aside the city’s defense that the firing was necessary because Eschert had made what the city said was an offensive and inflammatory Facebook post.

On Aug. 20, 2014, about 10 days after the shooting of Michael Brown set off riots in Ferguson, Mo., Eschert wrote this post on her Facebook page, which was restricted to her Facebook friends:

“White guy shot by police yesterday near Ferguson … Where is Obama? Where is Holder? Where is Al Sharpton? Where are Trayvon Martin’s parents? Where are all the white guys supporters? So is everyone MAKING it a racial issue? So tired it’s a racial thing. If you are a thug and worthless to society, it’s not race – You’re just a waste no matter what religion, race or sex you are.”

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article150006207.html