Washington, USA – Twelve former FBI agents have filed a lawsuit against the bureau, accusing it of illegally firing them.
This is because they took a kneeling position during the racial justice protests that took place in Washington, D.C., five years ago.
Customers say this movement – popularized by protesters after the killing of George Floyd –
It was a tactical move to ease tensions, not a political declaration as they were later accused of making.
According to the newly filed lawsuit, the former clients confirmed that their decision to kneel during the June 4, 2020 protest
It came in response to a “dangerous and tense” situation that they were not adequately prepared to handle.
Kneeling was a tactic
They explained that they faced an “angry crowd”, and that adopting this signal helped to avoid the situation escalating in a way that would threaten the safety of the parties.
The customers believe that the decision to dismiss them was made at the direct instruction of the office manager, Kash Patel – who was named as a defendant –
They confirmed that their dismissal letters included accusations of “lack of impartiality” while performing their duties.
For its part, the FBI declined to comment on the case.
The lawsuit states that the nine female and three male clients made their decision “after study and consideration”.
They believe that kneeling was a tactic used at the time between protesters and security forces to ease tensions during the period of unrest.
The protests swept across the United States following the killing of Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Late political targeting
The dismissed customers maintain that their conduct was subject to a joint review at the time.
This is from the FBI and the Department of Justice, without taking any action against them.
They pointed out that their dismissal decisions were issued more than five years after the incident.
This was seen as evidence of “belated political targeting”.
Lack of loyalty to President Trump
According to the lawsuit, the clients are seeking compensation, including reinstatement to their jobs and payment of outstanding financial dues.
They also said their dismissal was due to what some officials considered a “lack of loyalty” to then-US President Donald Trump.
Kash Patel had previously faced accusations of purging federal employees deemed disloyal to Trump.
But he repeatedly denied that the dismissal decisions were politically motivated.
Amid recent speculation about his continued leadership of the office, the White House stated that Patel is “a key member of the president’s team and is working tirelessly to restore the integrity of the office.”
This case comes at a time when former officials – including former acting director Brian Driscoll – have filed a lawsuit
Similar lawsuits accuse the office of taking politically motivated dismissal measures.
