Mary Zeitchick v. Carol Lucey

MEMORANDUM

Plaintiff Joe Zeitchick appeals various decisions of the district court in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against Western Nevada Community College (“WNCC”) officials alleging retaliation in violation of the First Amendment. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 , and we affirm.

I

Zeitchick first challenges the district court’s grant of partial summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds for his First Amendment claim that defendants ceased negotiations with him in retaliation for his protected speech. We review de novo a grant of summary judgment on the grounds of qualified immunity. McSherry v. City of Long Beach, 584 F.3d 1129, 1134 (9th Cir.2009). Summary judgment is appropriate if, when the evidence is viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, there are no genuine issues of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id. at 1135 . “We may affirm on the basis of any ground supported by the record.” Id.

“The doctrine of qualified immunity protects government officials from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a…