is devoted to contesting that Plaintiffs statements on the first day of the Harvard program fall within the ambit of the First Amendment. See Def. Hall Mot. at 14-15. However, even assuming that Plaintiffs statements at the Harvard program were not protected conduct, Plaintiffs other alleged actions—filing a lawsuit contending that government officials violated state law and criticizing one of those officials in the media—clearly are protected. See Fritz v. Charter Twp. of Comstock, 592 F.3d 718, 723 (6th Cir.2010) (comments in press protected activity); Eckerman v. Tenn. Dep’t of Safety, 636 F.3d 202, 208 (6th Cir.2010) (“The filing of a lawsuit to redress grievances is clearly protected activity under the First Amendment.”); Lowery v. Euverard, 497 F.3d 584, 587-588 (6th Cir.2007) (<HOLDING>). Hall does not suggest otherwise. See Def.
recognizing first amendment retaliation right recognizing that the first amendment encompasses criticism of government officials recognizing criticisms of public officials is at core of speech protected by first amendment holding that criticism of the defendants failure to express remorse penalized his assertion of fifth amendment rights recognizing that the first amendment forbids government officials to discharge public employees for not being supporters of the political party in power