On September 4, a federal judge issued a ruling allowing the Department of Defense to move forward with the termination of three employees from Stars and Stripes, a military news outlet that receives partial funding from the Pentagon. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden denied the request for a temporary restraining order filed by the journalists, who had sought to halt their dismissals through legal action.
The plaintiffs in the case—editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and reporter Lara Korte—filed their lawsuit in late August. They argued that their planned terminations were retaliatory and constituted a violation of the First Amendment. Specifically, the journalists alleged they were being targeted for “speaking up as private citizens in support of the press’s freedom to cover military operations.” Furthermore, the lawsuit claimed the Pentagon’s true motivation was an article published on August 11 regarding deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Lincoln, which appeared just one day before termination notices were ordered.
The conflict escalated on August 12, when a Pentagon official instructed Max Lederer to fire both Erik Slavin and Lara Korte, citing insubordination. This order followed the journalists' appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, where they discussed their concerns regarding the potential loss of editorial independence at Stars and Stripes. During that broadcast, Korte asserted that she worked for the news organization, “not for the Pentagon, not for any administration, not for any policymaker.” Max Lederer was subsequently fired after he refused to carry out the order to terminate his colleagues.
In his ruling, Judge McFadden, a Trump appointee, concluded that the journalists are “unlikely to succeed on the merits of their First Amendment claim and do not demonstrate irreparable harm.” David Z. Seide, an attorney representing the employees, stated that his clients are “obviously disappointed and are reviewing the opinion.” The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment. In an August 27 post on X, Korte emphasized the stakes of the legal battle, writing, “This lawsuit is about safeguarding the mission of Stars and Stripes journalists so they can continue to do their jobs without fear or retaliation.”
