Show Quick Read Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroomFBI Director Kash Patel dismissed a trainee agent on October 1, 2025, reportedly for placing a Pride flag at his desk during a previous assignment, sources say. During this time, he worked as a diversity program coordinator and displayed a Pride flag at his desk. Patel's letter cited the agent’s probationary status as a justification for the firing and invoked Article II powers under President Donald Trump as legal grounding for the dismissal. Veteran agents familiar with FBI norms told CNN that such displays of Pride flags have not historically violated bureau policy. The firing has sparked debate about workplace rights and diversity representation within federal agencies, with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups expressing concern over the precedent this sets for other probationary agents.