Judge Trevor McFadden Denies Request to Block Firings of Three Stars and Stripes Journalists

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that the Pentagon can proceed with the firings of three senior journalists from the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. The ruling denied temporary restraining order requests from publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte, who argued that their removals violated the First Amendment. The journalists claimed the Pentagon sought to punish them for reporting on hardships aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and for defending the newspaper's editorial independence. However, the Pentagon maintained that the journalists spoke in their official capacities as government employees, which does not grant them the same First Amendment protections as private citizens. The lawsuit originated after the trio were pushed out following a July 5 CBS Sunday Morning segment. The Pentagon directed Max Lederer to dismiss Slavin and Korte, but he refused to carry out the directive. The judge noted that the journalists' remarks were pre-approved by superiors and were made as part of their official duties. The ruling is not a final judgment on the merits of the case, and the litigation will continue.

Sources

• CNN
  Federal judge allows Pentagon to fire three Stars and Stripes journalists
• Newsweek
  Sean Parnell Defends Stars and Stripes Firings After Court Ruling
• The Guardian
  Judge refuses to block Pentagon from firing Stars and Stripes journalists

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• Politico
  Judge refuses to block Pentagon from firing Stars and Stripes staffers over CBS interview
• The Hill
  Former Stars and Stripes publisher: Pentagon lawsuit will ‘continue on’ after court setback