US Judge Refuses to Halt Pentagon’s Firing of Military News Outlet Journalists
| Court Ruling | A federal judge declined to issue an injunction preventing the US Department of Defense from dismissing journalists at Stars and Stripes. |
|---|---|
| Plaintiffs | Publisher Max Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte filed the lawsuit in Washington DC. |
| Defendants | The US Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are named in the action. |
| Catalyst | The conflict followed an 11 August report on mental health issues and deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. |
A United States federal judge has refused to block the Department of Defense from terminating journalists at Stars and Stripes, a military news outlet partially funded by the US government. The decision allows defense officials to proceed with leadership changes and assert greater editorial control while the legal action proceeds.
US District Judge Trevor McFadden issued the ruling in response to a lawsuit filed in Washington DC by Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East correspondent Lara Korte. The plaintiffs sought to block their dismissals, arguing that defense officials retaliated against them for speaking out about editorial independence in violation of First Amendment free speech rights.
Origins of the Dispute
The legal confrontation began after Stars and Stripes published an article on 11 August detailing deteriorating living conditions and mental health struggles among crew members aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Following the story’s release, Pentagon officials instructed Lederer to fire Slavin and Korte. Lederer refused the directive and later announced his retirement after defense officials appointed a new deputy publisher without consulting him.
Slavin and Korte subsequently granted interviews to CBS News to discuss the situation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the defense department were named as defendants in the lawsuit, which requests that the court reinstate the ousted journalists.
Judicial Assessment
In his ruling, McFadden concluded that Slavin and Korte spoke to media representatives in their capacity as public employees carrying out official duties rather than as private citizens. McFadden determined that the journalists were unlikely to establish a First Amendment violation, writing that “Plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate a chill here.”
Addressing the staff’s termination following their public comments, McFadden noted that while the actions might raise other issues, “it does not clearly offend the first amendment.” He added that the news outlet’s overarching editorial independence was not directly at stake in the injunction request. Legal counsel for the journalists characterized the ruling as disappointing.
Additional Challenges to Pentagon Oversight
The ruling comes amid broader legal actions challenging military oversight of the publication. In June, former ombudsman Jacqueline Smith sued the Department of Defense, claiming she was unlawfully discharged for writing an opinion column. That same month, advisory board members Susan Dardarian and William Church, both Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, filed a separate lawsuit alleging illegal censorship by military authorities.
Background
Stars and Stripes is an editorially independent news organization operating within the US military system. Though it relies on partial funding from the Department of Defense, long-standing policies and Congressional mandates have historically shielded its staff from military censorship and administrative interference in reporting news relevant to military personnel.
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