3 Stars and Stripes Staffers Sue Pentagon to Block Firings as 1st Amendment Fight Widens
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 27
3 Stars and Stripes Staffers Sue Pentagon to Block Firings as 1st Amendment Fight Widens
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Aug 27
Summary
Three Stars and Stripes staffers — publisher Max Lederer, editor in chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte — sued the Defense Department in federal court to stop firings set to take effect after five business days.
The lawsuit says the dismissals for alleged “insubordination” were retaliatory: Pentagon official Andrew Brey had asked Lederer to fire Slavin and Korte over a CBS News interview, and Lederer refused.
Friday’s firings deepened a months-long clash over the military paper’s editorial independence after Pentagon leaders labeled it “woke,” imposed new restrictions, canceled news-service contracts and fired its congressionally mandated ombudsman.
The case adds to 2 other First Amendment suits tied to Stars and Stripes, while the Pentagon this month installed Navy Captain William Urban as deputy publisher and issued a new instruction stressing national-security limits on publication.