Brown v. Young

  • Latest Update: Dec 16, 2025
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Summary

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) terminated Brittney Brown, a wildlife biologist who manages critical shorebird nests, in retaliation for sharing political criticism of Charlie Kirk through her personal social media. FWC publicly declared that her personal expression was “not in line with the FWC, our values, or our mission” in its public post announcing her termination. Ms. Brown sued two FWC officials in late September 2025, alleging retaliation and viewpoint discrimination in violation of her First Amendment right to free speech. She moved for a preliminary injunction seeking immediate reinstatement, which the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida denied on November 13, 2025 after oral argument. The Court ordered immediate discovery to resolve factual disputes necessary to determine if FWC had adequate justification to terminate Ms. Brown for her personal expression.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

FWC punished Ms. Brown for expressing political views that conflict with the views of Florida’s political leadership. Her termination a mere five days after the death of Charlie Kirk sent a clear signal to all state employees in Florida: don’t say anything or you will lose your job. A victory would vindicate the free speech rights of Ms. Brown and hinder Florida’s efforts to enforce ideological tests for state employees.

On December 16, the Court denied FWC’s motion to dismiss, and the parties are currently engaged in the discovery process.