Daniel Carter, Jr., was a deputy sheriff in Hampton, Virginia. His boss, Sheriff B.J. Roberts, faced reelection in 2009. Carter showed his support for Roberts's opponent, Jim Adams, by "liking" Adams's Facebook page.
After Roberts won the November 2009 election, he did not reappoint Carter and several other employees who had supported Adams to their positions.
Are Facebook "likes" protectable free speech? To what other actions can a Facebook "like" be analogized? Are any other constitutional issues raised by Roberts's actions? Even if Sheriff Roberts did act unconstitutionally, can he claim immunity?