A U.S. federal judge, Trevor McFadden, on Sept. 4 denied a temporary restraining order sought by Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor Eric Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Colter, clearing the Pentagon to proceed with their dismissals. McFadden found the trio had not shown a likely violation of their First Amendment rights; he said Slavin and Colter’s comments were made in the course of official duties rather than as private citizens, and Lederer’s refusal to follow supervisors’ o

A U.S. federal judge, Trevor McFadden, on Sept. 4 denied a temporary restraining order sought by Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor Eric Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Colter, clearing the Pentagon to proceed with their dismissals. McFadden found the trio had not shown a likely violation of their First Amendment rights; he said Slavin and Colter’s comments were made in the course of official duties rather than as private citizens, and Lederer’s refusal to follow supervisors’ orders is not protected speech. The plaintiffs had sued the Pentagon alleging retaliation for supporting the paper’s editorial independence and related reporting.