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Ex-EPA staffers sue after agency fired them following dissent letter
The former biologists say the agency retaliated against protected speech and seek reinstatement and back pay after their probationary terminations.
Two former EPA lab employees in Duluth sued the agency for firing them after they signed a letter critical of the Trump administration during personal time.
Alexander Cole and Stephanie Eytcheson, former biologists at the EPA’s Great Lakes laboratory, are among seven fired employees who filed lawsuits on June 30.
The EPA's officials advised against adverse actions for those who signed the letter, stating there were no ethics concerns, according to emails cited in the lawsuit.
The lawsuits claim the EPA prioritized protecting leadership over respecting First Amendment rights.