Judge hands Pentagon a win over ousted Stars and Stripes journalists

A federal judge Friday denied a request from the trio of ousted Stars and Stripes journalists to reverse the Pentagon’s firing of them.US District Judge Trevor McFadden denied a temporary restraining order filed by Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor in chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte, claiming they “ultimately fail to carry their significant burden to show that they are clearly entitled to a preliminary injunction.”In a joint statement to Fox News Digital, the three journalists expressed their disappointment with McFadden’s decision but insist it’s not the “final judgment.”“We are reviewing the decision with our attorneys and considering our next steps,” Lederer, Slavin and Korte said.“We continue to believe that the Pentagon should not be able to fire journalists for speaking out against censorship and defending the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes.”“This case is not primarily about the three of us.

It is about whether the servicemembers who swear to defend the Constitution, and the military families who serve alongside them, can rely on a free and independent press.It is also about whether the military and civilian journalists at Stars and Stripes can do their jobs without fear of retaliation,” they added.Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell touted the legal win on social media.“The court applied settled Supreme Court law: public employees do not receive First Amendment protection when they speak with the government’s voice,” Parnell wrote on X.

“The record showed these interviews were arranged with supervisor involvement, conducted at Stripes workplaces, and presented the speakers in their official titles, discussing the paper they run.That is government speech, not private-citizen speech.”“Stars and Stripes is a Department of War publication funded to inform the military community,” Parnell continued.

“The Department has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure it remain...