Ex-EPA staffers sue after agency fired them following dissent letter

Skip to content

Seven former staffers at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are suing the agency after it fired them following their criticisms of the Trump administration.

The employees were let go after signing a letter saying that the administration was undermining public trust and ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters, among other concerns.

On Tuesday, they filed two lawsuits, arguing that their firings violated their freedom of speech and seeking reinstatement at the EPA.

The suit also alleges that these specific staffers were fired while others who signed the letter were not because they were probationary employees — a status given to those who are new or recently promoted — meaning they had fewer protections.

The president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 238, the union representing the staffers, praised their actions in a statement on the lawsuit.

“One year ago, over a hundred of EPA employees did something extraordinarily brave: they spoke out to defend science, public health, and the EPA’s mission. For that, they were punished. But they are not standing alone,” Justin Chen said in a written statement. “AFGE Council 238 will keep fighting until every employee is vindicated and every federal worker knows they can exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of retaliation.”

An EPA spokesperson declined to comment, saying the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

When it fired the staffers, the agency said it “has a zero-tolerance policy for career officials using their agency position and title to unlawfully undermine, sabotage, and undercut the will of the American public.”

The lawsuits have pointed to language in the initial letter indicating that the employees were acting in their personal capacities.

A group of Democratic senators also wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin demanding a reversal of the firings.

Tags

Dissent letter

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

EPA dissent letter

EPA spokesperson

Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.