A Tulsa police officer fired last month after anti-government and anti-Islamic social media posts came to light is suing the City of Tulsa.
The American Freedom Law Center and local attorney Scott Wood filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on Tuesday on behalf of Wayne Brown, who is now a detention officer in Rogers County.
Brown graduated from the police academy in August.
"In a cowardly act of political correctness, the City of Tulsa and its Chief of Police fired a good officer because local, left-wing political activists complained about certain Facebook posts allegedly made by our client several years prior to his hiring as a Tulsa police officer," said AFLC co-founder Robert Muise.
We The People Oklahoma founder Marq Lewis reposted some of Brown’s 2013 Facebook messages, posted under the name Duke Brown, to draw attention to the comments.
The posts were critical of the Obamas and the Islamic faith. One post said, "Despite what your momma told you, violence does solve problems."
According to a memo included in the complaint, Brown was fired for violating the Tulsa Police Department's social media policy, conduct unbecoming an officer and violating his oath as an officer.
The lawsuit contends Brown can't be punished on the job for his private speech and seeks unspecified damages.
