Jay Embry v. City of Calumet City

FLAUM, Circuit Judge.

Jay Embry sued Calumet City, four city aldermen, and the city Director of Personnel under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, alleging that defendants demoted him from the position of Commissioner of Streets and Alleys as retaliation for his support of the mayor during a recent city election. Applying the Elrodr-Bmnti line of political-patronage cases, the district court granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment after concluding that the commissioner is a policymaking position and that Embry could therefore be removed because of his political affiliation. See Branti v. Finkel, 445…