Providence City Councilor Miguel Sanchez wins free speech lawsuit against McKee staffers

Fresh off a Democratic primary victory and poised to become the next president of the Providence City Council, Miguel Sanchez has also prevailed in a federal free speech lawsuit against Gov. Dan McKee’s advisors. 

Rhode Island District Court Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. affirmed that McKee’s advisors, Joseph Almond and Antonio Afonso, violated Sanchez’ constitutional speech protections when they fired him from his government job because of pro-Palestine statements Sanchez posted on his personal social media account.

“Both the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Governor knew or should have known that they should not retaliate against Mr. Sanchez for exercising his constitutional right,” McConnell wrote in the 25-page ruling, first reported by GoLocalProv. “Yet the following day Mr. Sanchez was terminated from his employment right after Mr. Afonso acknowledged that Mr. Sanchez had a right to express himself.”

Sanchez did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee’s office, said the governor’s office disagreed with the decision, and was “reviewing all options with legal counsel.”

First elected to the Providence City Council in 2022, the 28-year-old Democratic socialist has been outspoken about his support for Palestinians since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023. In the weeks immediately following the war, Sanchez called for a ceasefire and shared videos on X — formerly known as Twitter — from a pro-Palestine rally outside the State House.

Sanchez, who worked as a junior staffer in McKee’s Office of Constituent Services, was initially cautioned by supervisors about his personal social media content. On Nov. 1, 2023, after the Providence Journal published an article about Sanchez’ activism, he was fired from his $50,000-a-year state job.

In August 2024, Sanchez sued McKee, Almond, and Afonso, alleging they violated free speech protections under the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. His complaint also sought back pay and other monetary compensation, and his old job back.

McConnell does not address the request for damages or reemployment, leaving those questions outstanding. 

But McConnell firmly concludes that Sanchez’ social media account was clearly connected to his elected position on the city council, not McKee’s office, and that his day job in constituent services had little to no influence on public policy or communications.

McConnell also notes that two other members of McKee’s staff had posted personal views on social media that conflicted with the governor — one proposing to abolish the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights and the other in support of a different presidential candidate in the 2024 election — yet were not fired nor asked to remove their posts.

McKee’s staff told Sanchez that his social media posts were disruptive, according to court documents. But Sanchez’ firing drew far more attention, prompting questions from 17 reporters, along with 63 emails and 38 calls to the constituent services offices within a day of the news being reported, according to court filings.

“The alleged distraction caused by his post pales in comparison to the inquiries after the firing,” McConnell wrote. 

McKee’s administrators, represented by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office, claimed qualified immunity — a legal doctrine that shields government officials from lawsuits for monetary damages without clear proof they violated a law or constitutional right. But McConnell denied the defendants’ motion, pointing to their stated acknowledgement that they were firing Sanchez for self-expression.

Sanchez listed two  jobs —  a case manager for Better Lives Rhode Island, a Providence social services agency, and a community outreach coordinator for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank – on his 2025 financial form with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission.  He also reported income of more than $1,000 from Whatnot, an online platform for live auctions of collectible diecast cars.

Almond and Afonso still work for McKee, whose term ends in January,  DaRocha confirmed.