By Scott MacFarlane
December 8, 2025 / 4:36 PM EST / CBS News
A dozen former FBI agents filed a federal civil lawsuit in Washington Monday seeking reinstatement, alleging they were unlawfully terminated earlier this year for kneeling in 2020 to help prevent violence following the killing of George Floyd.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, says the agents were fired during the second Trump administration for actions taken on June 4, 2020, when they confronted a crowd in Washington, D.C., amid rising tensions. The plaintiffs — identified only as Jane and John Does — say they knelt to de‑escalate encounters as hostile individuals mingled with families and children, and that their decision prevented violence.
Plaintiffs allege the Justice Department and FBI, at the direction of FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi, terminated them based on perceived political affiliations, specifically that they were “not affiliated with President Trump.” The lawsuit recounts that agents wore vests marked “FBI,” carried firearms, and were told their deployment was to provide a visible law enforcement presence, but that they lacked adequate crowd‑control equipment such as riot shields, gas masks, and helmets.
Mary Dohrmann, counsel for the agents, said internal FBI processes are being subverted in a way that endangers public safety. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.
The complaint alleges one plaintiff, “Jane Doe 5,” was removed from a senior counterintelligence role at FBI Headquarters at Patel’s direction because she knelt on June 4, 2020. The suit cites statements and Patel’s book, Government Gangsters, asserting his view that some government employees should be removed and replaced with people who will not “undermine the president’s agenda,” arguing this shows partisan motive rather than a fair evaluation of the June 4 events.
The 47‑page lawsuit is the latest of several legal challenges by former FBI officials who say Patel engaged in political retribution. Former Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll has sued over his termination, and another group of agents under scrutiny for their roles in the Capitol riot investigation has also filed a lawsuit challenging that probe.
The fired agents include counterterrorism specialists and long‑tenured investigators. The suit emphasizes they were not trained or equipped for crowd control and that kneeling was a tactical choice to de‑escalate and protect civilians and officers.