Overview
- Six former EPA employees filed First Amendment challenges on Wednesday, contesting their removals after criticizing the politicization of science.
- The group was terminated months after publicly signing a June 30 open letter that warned EPA policies were endangering public health.
- The appeals were lodged with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board and the employees are represented by PEER along with James & Hoffman, Minahan Muther Klinger, and Brown Gaines.
- Counsel Daniel Rosenthal said the agency must prove misconduct severe enough to interfere with work or a legitimate government objective.
- In July, EPA placed 139 signatories on administrative leave under a stated zero‑tolerance policy, while separately planning at least a 23% workforce cut and the closure of its scientific research office following broader restructuring directives.