By Doug Cunningham

A Royal Oak, Michigan assistant city attorney is suing the city for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights to broadcast a pro-labor radio show. C. Brian James says his job duties were stripped away when the city accused him of a conflict of interest.

[Brian James 1]: “I just find it astonishing and outrageous that in 2007 a person can exercise their rights completely separate and apart from the city with no impact on the city, and yet have their city as an employer take an extraordinarily negative and hostile action against an employee."

James has been a Teamster since starting work as an assistant city attorney for Royal Oak. He denies a conflict of interest. He says unionized attorneys can ethically do their jobs just like unionized police can fairly do theirs. What’s at stake here, he says, are his First Amendment rights to speak out on a pro-labor radio show.

[Brian James 2]: “I think everybody, whether you're n a labor union, whether you're pro or con relative to the labor movement - at any time when you can suffer negative job consequences for exercising your rights under the First Amendment that ought to be a concern to any American no matter where they're situated."