No. 22-1137

HENRY DIAZ,

Plaintiff, Appellant,

v.

CITY OF SOMERVILLE,

Defendant, Appellee.

APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

[Hon. Jennifer C. Boal, U.S. Magistrate Judge]

Before

Barron, Chief Judge, Selya and Kayatta, Circuit Judges.

James J. Heggie on brief for appellant. Leonard H. Kesten, Michael Stefanilo, Jr., Deidre Brennan Regan, and Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten, LLP on brief for appellee.

February 1, 2023 SELYA, Circuit Judge. Police officers occupy positions of trust and authority and, thus, are understandably held to high standards of conduct. Notwithstanding those standards, plaintiff- appellant Henry Diaz, a police officer, contends that the City of Somerville (the City) wrongfully discharged him after he was involved in an off-duty altercation with a civilian and lied about the altercation during an internal investigation. Di