"Seven former EPA workers on Tuesday joined a growing list of employees suing the agency after they were fired for signing a public letter critical of the Trump administration.
As in the previous cases, the fired Environmental Protection Agency employees argued in two federal complaints—one in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and another in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois—that they have the right to participate in public discussion and debate in their personal lives.
“Plaintiffs signed the letter outside the workplace, on their own time, and without using agency resources,” according to both complaints. “In short, Plaintiffs engaged in free speech protected by the First Amendment.”
The letter, addressed to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, claimed the agency has ignored scientific consensus to benefit polluters, turned its back on environmental justice communities, and promoted “a culture of fear, forcing staff to choose between their livelihood and well-being.”"
Stephen Lee reports for Bloomberg Environment June 30, 2026.
