Three Stars and Stripes Staff Sue Pentagon Over Firings
Three Stars and Stripes employees sue the Pentagon, claiming their firings violated First Amendment rights after they objected to censorship.
Three staff members of the Stars and Stripes military news outlet have filed a federal lawsuit against the Pentagon, challenging their recent dismissals as a violation of their First Amendment rights. The plaintiffs — publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte — argue they were punished for speaking out against government interference in the publication's editorial independence.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Washington, D.C., alleges that the firings were retaliation for Slavin and Korte's participation in a CBS News interview where they raised concerns about potential censorship by the U.S. military. Slavin was reportedly dismissed for insubordination following that interview. The suit also cites a report the outlet published on deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as a factor in the retaliation.
Lederer, who had announced his retirement effective at the end of September, was dismissed shortly after. He said the Pentagon installed an active-duty service member as deputy publisher under him without his prior knowledge.
The lawsuit emphasizes that Stars and Stripes' long-standing editorial independence is essential to its mission of providing unbiased, credible journalism to the U.S. military community, especially servicemembers and their families overseas.
The Pentagon, which partially funds the outlet, declined to comment on the allegations. The Defense Department and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are named as defendants. The plaintiffs are represented by several legal organizations, including the Democracy Defenders Fund and a Yale Law School clinic.