FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly fired an FBI agent trainee who displayed a gay pride flag at a Los Angeles field office last year, according to CNN. A termination letter dated Wednesday described the issue as an “impermissible, inappropriate display of political signage” in the workplace and cited the trainee’s probationary status.
The letter did not explicitly mention a pride flag, CNN reported.
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The letter, signed by Patel, said the employee showed “poor judgment.”
“You are being summarily dismissed from your position as a New Agent Trainee at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and removed from the federal service,” the letter said, according to NBC News.
The notice also referred to President Donald Trump’s executive authority from Article II of the Constitution. NBC News says that language has appeared in other challenged removal notices to employees at the Justice Department and the FBI.
Why it matters
The dismissal occurred the same day a federal government shutdown began.
The case also reflects broader changes at the DOJ and the FBI during Trump’s second term. DOJ Pride, an LGBTQ employee group, ceased operations in late January, less than two weeks after Trump signed an order rolling back diversity and inclusion efforts.
What are officials and staff saying?
NBC News reports that the trainee previously worked as an FBI support specialist in Los Angeles. They also received a 2022 Attorney General’s Award. The FBI has not commented publicly, and NBC News said it could not reach the dismissed employee.
The firing has prompted unease among FBI staff. NBC News reported that some agents in Washington began reviewing displays on their desks and social media accounts for anything that officials could perceive as offensive to Trump, Patel or their allies.
Employees had previously warned one another to avoid signaling sexual orientation or LGBTQ support after Trump’s election.
