COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority isn’t entitled to legal immunity in a case where the agency had an employee arrested in front of the entire staff.

Typically government workers aren’t able to bring civil lawsuits against their employers. But justices ruled 7-0 on Thursday that Darrell Sampson’s case fits the exception to that rule.

Sampson was working for the housing authority when he was arrested at a mandatory all-staff meeting. He claimed he was harmed by being suspended, later fired, exposed to damaging media publicity and criminally prosecuted based on theft charges that were not substantiated.

Affirming a lower court ruling, the court ruled Sampson’s claims “arose out of the employment relationship” he had with CMHA, and so they were open to litigation.