Fired EPA Employees File First Amendment Challenges at MSPB (1)

Six former EPA workers who were fired for signing a letter critical of the agency’s political leadership filed free speech challenges Monday before a federal tribunal.

The former employees’ claims, filed to the US Merit Systems Protection Board, allege the firings were illegal because they violated the workers’ First Amendment right to free speech, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit group representing some of the staffers.

The filings also allege the workers were illegally retaliated against for their perceived political affiliation. The public letter was sharply critical of the Trump administration.

When asked about the dismissals, Environmental ...