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EPA placed 144 employees on administrative leave for signing a dissent letter criticizing Zeldin's policies

On July 3, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed approximately 144 employees on administrative leave, pending an "administrative investigation," after they signed a June 30, 2025 "Declaration of Dissent" accusing Administrator Lee Zeldin of dismantling the agency's research office, canceling environmental-justice programs, and ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters. EPA said the leave — initially set to run through July 17 — was warranted because the signatories had listed their official titles in the letter, and described a "zero-tolerance policy" for staff who "undermine" the administration's agenda.

Jurisdiction
federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

On July 3, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency placed roughly 144 employees on administrative leave pending an "administrative investigation," days after they signed a June 30 "Declaration of Dissent" letter criticizing Administrator Lee Zeldin's agenda. The letter — ultimately signed by hundreds of current and former EPA staff — accused the administration of dismantling the agency's Office of Research and Development, canceling environmental-justice grants and programs, and "ignoring scientific consensus to protect polluters." EPA justified the suspensions on the grounds that signatories had identified their official titles in the letter, and told staff the agency maintains a "zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging and undercutting the administration's agenda."

The leave was initially set to run through July 17, 2025. The American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing many affected workers, called for their immediate reinstatement, arguing the letter was protected speech on a matter of clear public concern — commentary on the agency's own scientific and environmental mission — rather than any unlawful act. EPA did not identify which specific statements in the letter it considered actionable.

This suspension was the first and largest-scale disciplinary action EPA took over the dissent letter, pulling roughly 144 staff — including scientists and career researchers — off active duty at once and leaving their offices short-staffed during the investigation; the agency later narrowed its response, ultimately firing a smaller number of probationary employees at the end of August 2025 (recorded separately in this archive) after further review.

Updates

2025-07-31 — EPA extended employees' administrative leave through August 15 [3]

Government Executive reported that EPA notified the suspended staff their administrative leave, previously extended once already, would run through August 15, 2025, prolonging the investigation beyond its original three-week window.

2025-09-04 — EPA proposed two-week unpaid suspensions for over 100 signatories, termination notices for about 15 [4][5]

GBH News and Government Executive reported EPA moved from administrative leave to formal discipline: more than 100 employees who signed the letter received notice of a proposed two-week unpaid suspension, and about 15 — including several probationary employees — were notified they would be fired.

Why we recorded this

The First Amendment protects federal employees' right to speak out on matters of public concern, and placing career staff on unpaid administrative leave en masse for co-signing a letter of professional dissent is a use of employer power to punish speech rather than address it on the merits. EPA's own framing — a "zero-tolerance policy" for employees who "undermine" the administration's agenda — treats disagreement itself as the offense. This entry records the initial, largest-scale action in that response, which predates and set the stage for the narrower terminations the agency carried out later that summer.

Sources

  1. EPA suspends and investigates around 140 employees that signed a letter critical of the agency — CNN primary accessed July 4, 2026
  2. 144 EPA workers suspended with pay over dissent letter — UPI secondary accessed July 4, 2026
  3. Union calls for reinstatement of EPA workers suspended over letter — Government Executive investigative accessed July 4, 2026
  4. EPA employees disciplined for signing letter criticizing agency's focus on deregulation — GBH News investigative accessed July 4, 2026
  5. EPA workers fired over dissent letter appeal to MSPB — Government Executive investigative accessed July 4, 2026

See also