Post

In a blistering decision on Friday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration and the OPM acted illegally when it fired tens of thousands of probationary federal employees at NOAA, NSF, and other agencies “for cause” in February. buff.ly/adxZ0IE

AGU joined a coalition of plaintiffs in March to defend the federal scientific workforce against these actions. The judge called the government’s justifications “disingenuous,” and the records they produced were, at times, “a fabrication” and “a sham” intended to frustrate judicial review.

In addition to barring OPM from taking such actions again, the federal agencies involved are also directed to update all personnel records. The court recognized that it is too late to insist on rehiring these employees but strove to highlight the illegality of the actions and stop ongoing harm.