Man Files Suit Against State Of Maryland For Wrongful Termination

CROFTON, MD — A Crofton resident who says he lost his job over controversial social media posts he made last summer has filed suit against the state, claiming he was wrongly fired and his rights were violated.

According to The Baltimore Sun, Arthur "Mac" Love IV had posted memes and comments on Facebook that "sympathized with Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager charged with shooting racial justice and police reform demonstrators in Kenosha, Wis."

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Love stated he was a victim of “viewpoint discrimination” and should not have lost his job for social media posts made on his private accounts during his personal time. He said his rights were violated, including his First Amendment right to free speech. He also claims he was wrongfully terminated from his job.

Love last worked as deputy director for the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives and had been with the office since 2015. He said he has found it "exceptionally difficult” to find employment in politics or public service since he was fired, said Gary Collins, who is acting as a spokesman for Love.

Steve McAdams, director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, said in a statement the “divisive images and statements that Love posted were counter to the mission of the office." A spokeswoman for Gov. Larry Hogan told the Sun the posts were “obviously totally inappropriate.”

Read more at The Baltimore Sun