( February 24, 2026, 1:19 PM EST) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 23 denied a petition for a writ of certiorari filed by a fired California city police chief asking the court to settle “an intractable 7-5 circuit split over how courts determine whether speech addresses a matter of public concern” that was exacerbated by the dismissal of her claims of retaliation and conspiracy pursuant to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that she alleged in a lawsuit filed against her employer after her termination for forwarding reportedly racist text messages....