Kathleen Hayes v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago

Outcome

The Seventh Circuit reversed the district court's denial of qualified immunity to Matthew Lyons (CPS Chief Talent Officer), holding that no clearly established law put him on notice that reporting an employee's disparaging social media posts to her employer violated the First Amendment. The Board of Education was dismissed from the appeal as an improper party, leaving unresolved the underlying First Amendment retaliation claim and the Board's potential municipal liability.