Stars and Stripes journalists sue Pentagon over firings

Three staff at Stars and Stripes sued the US Department of Defense on August 27, alleging the Pentagon fired them in violation of their constitutional free speech rights.

Editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer and reporter Lara Korte say in the lawsuit that the department retaliated against them after Stars and Stripes published an August 11 story about deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during an extended deployment in the Middle East.

The filing, submitted to the US District Court for Washington DC and seen by AFP, says the case seeks to stop what it calls violations of the journalists' First Amendment rights and challenges alleged Defense Department censorship. It says the firings were illegal and demands that the three be reinstated.

The lawsuit says the Pentagon on August 12 ordered Lederer to fire two staff members, accusing them of insubordination over comments made weeks earlier to CBS about Stars and Stripes' editorial independence. All three plaintiffs were fired on August 21.

Stars and Stripes has covered the US military since the Civil War era. It is partly funded by the Defense Department but has maintained editorial independence. The lawsuit says the publication exists to provide independent news and information to the US military community.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is among the defendants. The Defense Department said earlier this year it wanted to steer the publication's coverage away from "woke distractions." AFP said it sought comment from the department on the lawsuit.