Fired Stars and Stripes staffers sue Pentagon, allege retaliation and First Amendment violation

"Defendants are attempting to fire Plaintiffs for speaking up as private citizens in support of the press's freedom to cover military operations, its need to reach all servicepersons, and in retaliation for their publication of a news report on deteriorating conditions aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln during its extended tour of duty in the Mid-East," the lawsuit filed Thursday stated. "This action seeks to prevent the blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of these journalists and challenges the U.S. Department of Defense's extraordinary censorship efforts in violation of both the First Amendment and DoD regulations and policies."

According to the lawsuit, the trio allege Pentagon leadership "understood these interview statements expressed personal opinions, and therefore took no immediate action, despite their displeasure" and that it wasn't until Stars and Stripes published its report on the alleged strife aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln that the Pentagon's stance had shifted.

"This lawsuit is about safeguarding that mission and ensuring our civilian and military journalists can do their jobs without retaliation," they added.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment.

The Pentagon kicked off 2026 by announcing its overhaul of the long-running newspaper.

"Stars & Stripes will be custom tailored to our warfighters. It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY," the statement continued. "No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints. Stars & Stripes has a proud legacy of reporting news that's important to our service members. The Department of War is committed to ensuring the outlet continues to reflect that proud legacy."

The Pentagon previously fired the Stars and Stripes ombudsman in April after being an outspoken critic of the Trump administration's oversight of the paper.