FBI Director Kash Patel Terminates Trainee Over Pride Flag Display: Escalating Concerns About LGBTQ Discrimination in Federal Agencies

FBI Director Kash Patel has dismissed a bureau trainee on Wednesday, October 1, for previously displaying a Pride flag at his workstation, according to sources reported by CNN.

The employee, who had worked at the FBI for several years and earned multiple awards during his service, was participating in new agent training at Quantico, Virginia, when he received a termination letter signed by Patel.

While the dismissal letter did not explicitly mention the Pride flag, CNN sources revealed that Patel cited "poor judgment" and "an inappropriate display of political signage" as reasons for the termination.

Sources told CNN that the trainee had previously served as an FBI support specialist in Los Angeles, where he functioned as a field office diversity programme coordinator and had displayed a Pride flag at his desk.

A copy of Patel's letter dated October 1, obtained by MSNBC, stated, "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 termination letter also referenced US President Donald Trump's Article II powers to remove federal agency personnel, a justification that has appeared in other recent dismissals at the Department of Justice and FBI. Several of these terminations are currently facing legal challenges.

Two veteran FBI employees informed CNN that historically, displaying a Pride flag at one's desk has never been considered a violation of bureau policy.

This firing occurred just days after Patel removed several FBI employees who had knelt during a 2020 protest while performing crowd control duties in Washington, D.C. The kneeling, viewed by some as an attempt to reduce tensions with demonstrators, had drawn criticism from conservative groups, including some within the bureau.

Former FBI Director Christopher Wray had previously determined that kneeling did not violate bureau policies, according to CNN.

Since taking leadership, Patel has terminated or forced the resignation of numerous FBI officials, including three senior executives who have filed lawsuits alleging their terminations were politically motivated at the direction of Trump allies.

MSNBC reported that in the weeks preceding Donald Trump's January 2025 inauguration, FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors cautioned each other about displaying any information that revealed their sexual orientation or support for LGBTQ rights.