FBI director fuels outrage after firing trainee agent for displaying Pride flag

Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which some readers may find distressing.

The Director of the FBI, Kash Patel, has sparked major outrage after firing a trainee agent for displaying the Pride flag last year, according to reports.

The incident occurred when the trainee, who is yet to be publicly identified, was on an assignment in California under President Joe Biden, sources told MSNBC News.

According to CNN, the employee had received multiple awards for service during his career and, in a previous non-agent role with the FBI, had also been a field office diversity programme coordinator and displayed a Pride flag at his workstation.

A signed dismissal letter from Patel, which is dated from just last week (1 October), alleged that the trainee had displayed an improper 'political' message in the workplace during this previous assignment, according to a copy of the letter obtained by MSNBC News.

FBI director Kash Patel has come under fire after sacking a trainee agent who allegedly displayed an improper 'political' message in the workplace (Win McNamee / Staff / Getty Images)

While the letter did not specifically mention the Pride flag, it did say that the agent was being dismissed for past 'poor judgment' and 'inappropriate display of political signage' on his desk in LA.

"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," Patel wrote.

The letter shows that the employee in question was undergoing training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, when he was 'summarily dismissed'.

It stated: "You are being summarily dismissed from your position as a New Agent Trainee at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and removed from the federal service."

Two FBI veterans have come forward saying that 'displaying the flag at one’s desk historically would not violate any past FBI policy' (Alexander Spatari / Getty Images)

CNN also reported that two FBI veterans told the outlet that 'displaying the flag at one’s desk historically would not violate any past FBI policy'.

"However, since taking office, President Donald Trump has vowed to rid the federal government of what he calls 'woke' ideology," the outlet added.

The firing of the individual comes less than a week after Patel sacked over a dozen other FBI employees who took a knee while conducting crowd control during a demonstration in Washington, DC, over the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

"The act of taking a knee, which appeared to de-escalate the situation, drew sharp criticism from some conservatives, including people inside the FBI. Previous FBI Director Christopher Wray concluded that it did not violate bureau policy," CNN notes.

Tyla has reached out to the FBI for further comment on the reports.

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