FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly dismissed a trainee agent for displaying a pride flag at a California field office, calling the move a violation of rules against political messaging in the workplace.

The trainee, who previously worked as an FBI support specialist in Los Angeles, was terminated on October 1, according to a letter signed by Patel and reviewed by MSNBC. The letter described the display of the pride flag as “poor judgment” and grounds for removal during the trainee’s probationary period.

Patel cites “political signage” and probationary status

In the dismissal letter, Patel wrote:

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“After reviewing the facts and circumstances and considering your probationary status, I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment in the Los Angeles Field Office.”

The letter did not explicitly mention the pride flag but referred to it as political in nature. Patel added that the trainee was being “summarily dismissed” from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and “removed from the federal service.”

The decision marks another in a series of controversial firings under Patel’s leadership. In September, he dismissed more than a dozen FBI employees for kneeling during crowd-control assignments in Washington, D.C., at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

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Political backdrop: Trump’s push against “woke” ideology

The firing comes amid President Donald Trump’s renewed efforts to purge what he has described as “woke ideology” from federal agencies. Trump has repeatedly pledged to reshape the Justice Department and intelligence community, citing Article II powers under the Constitution to justify personnel decisions.

That rationale, also invoked in the trainee’s dismissal letter, has been used in several recent firings across the DOJ and FBI. Many of those dismissals are now facing legal challenges from affected employees and unions.

Fallout within the federal workforce

The dismissal also coincided with the first day of a nationwide government shutdown, adding to anxiety among federal employees. The White House has warned that “thousands” of government workers could face furloughs or layoffs if the shutdown continues.

Civil rights advocates are expected to challenge the firing, arguing that a pride flag does not constitute political signage but rather a symbol of identity and inclusion. Patel’s defenders, however, argue that the FBI must remain “politically neutral” in both appearance and practice.

Why it matters

The case highlights broader tensions within the federal government over workplace expression, employee rights, and political oversight under the Trump administration. With Patel’s leadership at the FBI already under scrutiny, the dismissal is likely to fuel further debate over what constitutes “political activity” in a government setting.