Judge Temporarily Halts CIA Officer Discharges Related to DEI Initiatives
A federal judge has temporarily prevented the CIA from dismissing 11 officers who were put on leave due to their involvement in DEIA programs.
A federal judge has provisionally stopped the firings of 11 CIA officers currently on paid administrative leave for their participation in the agency’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives.
“Defendants shall refrain from terminating Plaintiff John Does 1-6 and Jane Does 1-5 or placing these Plaintiffs on leave without pay, so that these Plaintiffs shall remain on administrative leave with their full pay and benefits,” Trenga stated in his ruling.
The judge has scheduled a hearing for February 24 to assess whether to issue a temporary injunction preventing the officers’ dismissal.
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Even in the absence of a specific termination order, the plaintiffs were placed on administrative leave on January 22, purportedly solely due to their temporary DEIA duties rather than for inadequate performance or other significant issues. They were subsequently directed to report to CIA and ODNI facilities with their intelligence community (IC) access badges—a step they assert foreshadowed potential termination.
John Doe 1, a 15-year CIA officer, had been temporarily assigned to a DEIA position focused on the hiring, retention, and advancement of employees from federally protected classes. In court documents, he advocated for the national security importance of DEI, asserting that a diverse workforce improves intelligence-gathering efforts by facilitating interactions with foreign populations, enabling culturally sensitive operations, and engaging sources in restrictive environments.
The plaintiffs claim that their anticipated termination breaches the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the First Amendment, and the Fifth Amendment. They contend that their dismissals would be arbitrary and capricious, lack factual grounds, and deny them due process.
“These individuals are being dismissed based merely on an assumption that they are leftists,” remarked the plaintiffs’ attorney, Kevin Carroll, a former CIA undercover officer, in a statement to Reuters.
Carroll disclosed that the plaintiffs are part of a broader group of 51 CIA officers who were placed on paid administrative leave on January 22 following the executive order. He stated that these officers were called to a visitor center outside CIA headquarters, where their identification badges were taken.
They were then presented with three options, each with a 5 p.m. deadline: retire by October 1, resign immediately, or face termination on May 20. Carroll indicated that officers who declined to choose one of these options would be automatically dismissed.
The CIA has not publicly responded to the case, and the agency’s rationale for the expected dismissals remains unclear. The government has yet to file a formal objection to the plaintiffs’ TRO request, although attorneys indicated during the February 18 court hearing that they plan to do so.
The Epoch Times has sought comments from the CIA regarding this matter.
