Court takes up public employees' privacy case
Labor & Employment
The Supreme Court appears likely to rule against public employees who claimed a local government violated their privacy by reading racy text messages they sent on their employers' account.
Several justices said Monday that the employer, the Ontario, Calif., police department, acted reasonably in monitoring the text messages in view of its written policy warning employees they have no guarantee of privacy in the use of office computer and electronics equipment.
Justice Stephen Breyer said he didn't see "anything, quite honestly, unreasonable about that."
While the case involves government workers, the decision could have broader privacy implications as courts continue to sort out privacy issues in the digital age. Many employers, including Ontario, tell workers there is no guarantee of privacy in anything sent over their company- or government-provided computers, cell phones or pagers.
The case arose when the Ontario department decided to audit text message usage to see whether its SWAT team officers were using them too often for personal reasons. Three police officers and another employee complained that the department improperly snooped on their electronic exchanges, including many that were said to be sexually explicit.
Related listings
-
Dallas labor & employment lawyer - Jill Weinberg
Labor & Employment 04/20/2010Ms. Weinberg provides corporations with practical and proactive labor and employment law counseling services. She works closely with high-tech and start-up companies in the Richardson, Plano, Frisco and Dallas areas. Non-compete agreements Confidenti...
-
Major Supreme Court cases for the new term
Labor & Employment 10/05/2009Highlights of some high-profile cases that the Supreme Court will take up in its term that begins Monday:_Guns: The Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms has never been held to apply to state and local laws restricting guns. The court is tak...
-
Ky. high court clears way for mine death lawsuit
Labor & Employment 05/21/2009The widow of a Kentucky coal miner who bled to death after his legs were cut off in a gruesome underground accident can proceed with a lawsuit against the company that employed him. The Kentucky Supreme Court, in a unanimous ruling Thursday, gave Ste...
New Rochelle, New York Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP, in New Rochelle, New York, immediately. We can answer all your questions and work with you to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at our firm are determined to resolve even the most difficult of cases. We will work closely with you to determine the best course of action to get your claim or case resolved in the most efficient way possible. We will fight for your right to compensation! No one should have to suffer a financial burden from the result of another person’s carelessness. The attorneys at Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP will aggressively fight to ensure that justice is served on your behalf.