Brown v. Young

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. After the completion of discovery, in February Ms. Brown filed motions for summary judgment and for sanctions based on false statements filed with the court by the defendants. Trial is scheduled for June 15, 2026.

The Latest: The parties reached a mutual agreement to settle the dispute on May 18 and will file papers to dismiss the lawsuit in due course. FWC will pay $275,000 to Ms. Brown in damages and back pay, plus $210,000 for her attorneys’ fees and costs. Ms. Brown once again is free to express her personal beliefs. In return, Ms. Brown will submit her resignation to FWC, dismiss her lawsuit, and return to her life and career in the wildlife conservation community.