Three journalists fired from Stars and Stripes, a US government-funded news outlet, filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Defense on Thursday, claiming their dismissals were illegal and violated their First Amendment rights to free speech.
The plaintiffs—Max Lederer, the outlet's former publisher; Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief; and Lara Korte, Middle East correspondent—allege in their court filing that the defense department and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to punish them for speaking out as private citizens in support of press freedom and for publishing a report on deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during its extended Middle East deployment.
Background of the lawsuit and alleged retaliation
Stars and Stripes, according to the filing, has operated as "the U.S. military's independent news source since the Civil War with a long history of editorial independence, free from news management or censorship by military command." The lawsuit contends that the Pentagon's actions against the journalists were retaliatory and unconstitutional.
Slavin and Korte said they were fired on grounds of "insubordination" after appearing in a CBS News interview on 5 July, during which they voiced concerns about potential censorship by the US military. The complaint notes that the Pentagon did not take "immediate action" following the interview, as their statements were consistent with the department's own longstanding position on Stripes' editorial independence.
The USS Abraham Lincoln report and its consequences
The lawsuit identifies an 11 August news report as the catalyst for the Pentagon's actions. That article, published by Stars and Stripes, detailed "deteriorating conditions" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been supporting US military operations in the Middle East for nearly nine months.
According to the complaint, the report revealed that the aircraft carrier's 5,000 sailors had faced food and water shortages, disrupted mail service, long workdays, and minimal time off for months. It also highlighted that the extended deployment and physical hardships were affecting sailors' physical and mental health.
The day after the article was published, the suit alleges, Lederer was ordered to fire Slavin and Korte—five and a half weeks after the CBS News interview. Lederer declined to comply, choosing instead to retire immediately and inform staff via email, stating he did not want to participate in what he viewed as an illegal scheme to punish the journalists for exercising their rights.
Legal claims and Pentagon response
Lederer was dismissed shortly after announcing his retirement, effective at the end of September. He also said the Pentagon had installed a new deputy publisher—an active duty service member—under him without his prior knowledge.
The suit emphasizes that "Stripes' historical editorial independence is critical to its core mission of gathering and providing unbiased, credible journalism to the U.S. military community, particularly servicemembers and their families stationed overseas."
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit filed Thursday. The case now moves forward in federal court, where the journalists seek remedies for what they argue were unlawful terminations.
