Veteran FBI employee files lawsuit claiming he was fired for displaying Pride flag

Source: CBS News

Updated on: November 19, 2025 / 4:10 PM EST


A 16-year FBI employee has filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired last month because he had a Pride flag draped near his desk. David Maltinsky, who was weeks away from being elevated to the position of agent, claims the firing was unlawful and sent a ripple of fear through the LGBT employees at the FBI.

"We're not the enemy and we're not some political mob. We're proud members of the FBI, and we have a mission to do. We go to work every day to do it," Maltinsky told CBS News in his first interview.

In a civil complaint filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Maltinsky seeks a court order to restore his job.

The suit makes several allegations, including an argument that the FBI has violated Maltinsky's First Amendment rights and retaliated against him for protected expression. According to the lawsuit, the First Amendment "forbids government officials from firing government employees, or otherwise retaliating against them, simply for engaging in expressive conduct concerning a matter of public concern."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-lawsuit-employee-fired-pride-flag/