Judge refuses to block Pentagon from firing Stars and Stripes staffers over CBS interview
- U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden refused to block the Pentagon from firing three Stars and Stripes staff members who claimed they were illegally disciplined for speaking about editorial independence.
- The judge ruled that the journalists are unlikely to prove the Pentagon violated their First Amendment rights, stating that Stars and Stripes' editorial independence is not at stake.
- Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin was dismissed for insubordination after giving a CBS News interview objecting to potential military censorship, while reporter Lara Korte participated in the same interview.
- The judge concluded that Slavin and Korte gave the interviews as part of their official duties as public employees rather than as private citizens, and were fired for giving pre-approved interviews.
- Publisher Max Lederer was dismissed shortly after announcing his retirement, after the Pentagon installed a new active-duty deputy publisher at the newspaper without his knowledge.
A federal judge on Friday refused to block the Pentagon from firing three Stars and Stripes staff members who challenged their dismissals as illegal retaliation for speaking about editorial independence. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that the journalists are unlikely to successfully prove a First Amendment violation, concluding that Stars and Stripes' editorial independence is not at stake in the case.
The lawsuit was filed by Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte. Slavin was dismissed for insubordination after giving a CBS News interview in which he objected to potential military censorship. Korte participated in the same interview. The three also claimed retaliation for publishing a report on deteriorating conditions aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln.
The judge determined that Slavin and Korte gave the interviews as part of their official duties as public employees rather than as private citizens exercising free speech rights. He wrote that they were fired for giving pre-approved interviews on behalf of their newspaper and that such action does not clearly violate the First Amendment. Lederer was dismissed shortly after announcing his retirement, following the Pentagon's installation of a new active-duty deputy publisher at the newspaper without his knowledge.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs stated they were disappointed but expected to prevail once discovery proceedings begin and all facts are revealed. The case names the Defense Department and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as defendants.
法官拒绝阻止五角大楼解雇《星条旗报》员工因其CBS采访
联邦法官周五拒绝阻止五角大楼解雇三名《星条旗报》员工，这些员工对其解雇提出质疑，声称这是对他们谈论编辑独立性的非法报复。美国地区法官特雷弗·麦克法登裁定，这些记者不太可能成功证明违反了第一修正案，并得出结论认为《星条旗报》的编辑独立性在本案中并未受到威胁。
诉讼由《星条旗报》出版商马克斯·莱德勒、主编埃里克·斯拉文和中东记者劳拉·科尔特提起。斯拉文因在CBS新闻采访中反对潜在的军事审查而被指控不服从命令而遭解雇。科尔特参与了同一采访。三人还声称因发表关于美国航母林肯号舰上条件恶化的报道而遭到报复。
法官认定斯拉文和科尔特是以公职人员身份进行采访，而非作为私人身份行使言论自由权。他写道，他们因代表报纸进行事先批准的采访而被解雇，这样的行为并未明显违反第一修正案。莱德勒在宣布即将退休后不久被解雇，此前五角大楼在未经其知晓的情况下在报社安装了一名现役军人担任副出版商。
代理原告的律师表示对判决感到失望，但期待在发现程序开始并所有事实揭露后能够胜诉。该案将国防部和国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯列为被告。