United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit ____________________ No. 23-2140 JOHN BROOKS and GREGORY SIMMONS, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. CITY OF PEKIN, et al., Defendants-Appellees. ____________________

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. No. 1:18-cv-01334 — James E. Shadid, Judge. ____________________

ARGUED JANUARY 19, 2024 — DECIDED MARCH 8, 2024 ____________________

Before ST. EVE, KIRSCH, and LEE, Circuit Judges. KIRSCH, Circuit Judge. John Brooks (a former police lieuten- ant) and Gregory Simmons (a former police officer) had a his- tory of workplace misconduct while employed by the City of Pekin. Simmons was terminated in March 2018, and Brooks retired in July 2018 in the face of a complaint filed against him with the Fire and Police Commission. Soon after, Brooks and Simmons sued the City and four City employees. Relevant to this appeal, Brook