Newark, NJ – A federal judge has ruled that portions of a lawsuit filed by former Hudson County prosecutor William N. Specht can proceed, while other claims have been dismissed, in a closely watched employment case testing the limits of whistleblower and constitutional protections.
Specht, who worked as a supervisory prosecutor, sued Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, the county prosecutor’s office, and others after being fired. He alleged that his dismissal violated both federal free speech protections and New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), the state’s whistleblower statute.
Court documents show that in October 2020, Specht was interviewed by an outside law firm hired to investigate workplace issues after he shared a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on his Facebook account. The investigation later received additional social media posts he had made.
Specht claimed his firing was retaliation for those posts and his willingness to speak out, while defendants argued the dismissal was lawful and unrelated to his protected activity.
In an Opinion and Order filed September 8, Judge Michael E. Farbiarz ruled on competing motions for summary judgment, granting them in part and denying them in part. That means some of Specht’s claims — including allegations of First Amendment retaliation and whistleblower protection under CEPA — will continue toward trial, while other claims, such as certain due process and wrongful discharge allegations, have been narrowed or dismissed.
The case, Specht v. County of Hudson et al. (No. 21-cv-18592), remains active in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Key Points
- Former Hudson County prosecutor William N. Specht sued after being fired in 2020.
- He claims the dismissal was retaliation for Facebook posts and whistleblower activity.
- A federal judge allowed parts of his First Amendment and CEPA whistleblower claims to proceed, while narrowing others.
The ruling ensures the case will continue, keeping Hudson County’s top prosecutor’s office under scrutiny in federal court.