A photo of Briskman's passing opposition to the president went viral. Late-night host Stephen Colbert told his audience, "No one has summed up the mood of the country better. ... Long may she wave."
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After the image became well-known, Briskman identified her involvement to her employer, Akima LLC. The company forced the 50-year-old mother of two to resign, claiming she violated its social media policy.
Now Briskman is suing Akima, alleging that when the government contractor forced her out it violated Virginia employment law.
The suit filed Wednesday by the Geller Law Group claims Akima acted improperly in firing an employee for fear of unlawful government retaliation.
"Juli's expression of disapproval of the President is fundamental political speech protected by both the United States Constitution and Virginia state law," attorney Maria Simon said in a press release.
Simon's law partner Rebecca Geller wrote, "Although many will disagree with Ms. Briskman's message and her means of expressing it, there can be no doubt that such speech is at the very core of the First Amendment and the Virginia Constitution."
According to her lawsuit, Akima promised Briskman four weeks of severance pay but gave her only two. Briskman wants the other two weeks of pay and for Akima to foot the bill for her legal fees. That comes to a whopping $2,692.30.
"I am fighting back because no American should have to choose between their pocketbooks & their principles," Briskman tweeted Wednesday.
Akima had no comment on the lawsuit.
After word spread in early November that Briskman had lost her job, friends set up a GoFundMe campaign that raised $134,385 to tide her family through a job search.
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