A longtime Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employee filed a lawsuit claiming he was fired after displaying a Pride flag near his workspace at the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
According to the complaint filed in federal court, former FBI employee David Maltinsky alleged the bureau unlawfully terminated him over protected expression tied to “LGBT” identity and Pride symbolism.
Maltinsky, who worked for the FBI for 16 years, said he was weeks away from becoming a special agent while participating in training at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia.
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and seeks restoration of Maltinsky’s position with the bureau following his dismissal last month.
Maltinsky argued in the complaint that the FBI violated his First Amendment rights by retaliating against him for displaying the Pride flag near his desk during a previous assignment.
According to the lawsuit, government officials cannot legally terminate federal employees solely because they engage in expressive conduct involving matters of public concern.
A termination letter provided to CBS News reportedly showed the firing decision was signed by FBI Director Kash Patel in October.
“I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area,” Patel wrote in the termination letter referenced in the lawsuit.
The FBI declined to comment publicly regarding the lawsuit and allegations involving Maltinsky’s dismissal from the bureau and training program.
According to the complaint, the Pride flag displayed at Maltinsky’s workspace had previously been displayed outside the FBI’s Los Angeles federal office complex during Pride Month activities.
Maltinsky said federal authorities approved displays of Pride flags at government office complexes beginning in June 2021 under prior federal workplace policies.
The lawsuit alleged a colleague filed a complaint regarding the flag on Jan. 20, 2025, the day President Donald Trump began his second term in office.
During an interview with CBS News, Maltinsky said his firing created fear among LGBT employees and allies working within the FBI and broader Justice Department.
“The ripple effect of fear has been felt,” Maltinsky said while discussing reactions among employees following his dismissal from the bureau.
Maltinsky’s attorney, Christopher M. Mattei, said the case concerns broader constitutional questions involving free expression and equal treatment within the federal government workplace.
The lawsuit comes amid a broader wave of departures, resignations and dismissals across the Justice Department since President Donald Trump returned to office earlier this year.
