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Federal Judge Reinstates Fired Employee Appeals Board Member
A federal judge has ruled that Cathy Harris, a former chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), must be temporarily reinstated after being dismissed by former President Trump. This decision ensures she regains full access to her office and its benefits until further court action is taken.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras issued the ruling, emphasizing that Harris is likely to succeed in her legal challenge and that her removal could cause irreparable harm. He also prohibited the appointment of anyone else to her seat on the three-member board, which oversees disputes related to federal employees’ rights.
“The Court concludes that Harris has demonstrated a strong case, faces significant harm if not reinstated, and that the public interest supports blocking her removal,” Contreras wrote. “She has met the legal standard for a temporary restraining order.”
Harris was abruptly dismissed last week through a brief email from the Presidential Personnel Office. Her term on the MSPB was supposed to last seven years, and under federal law, a president can only remove board members for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct.
Her attorney, Linda Correia, argued that the removal was unlawful and had serious consequences for both Harris and the board. “Every day she is not in that role is a day she loses the ability to make decisions that impact federal employees,” Correia stated in court. “No legal remedy can truly restore that lost time.”
On the other side, Justice Department attorney Madeline McMahon defended Trump’s decision, arguing that presidents must have the authority to remove MSPB members at their discretion. She warned that blocking Harris’s removal could interfere with the president’s executive powers.
For now, the judge’s order protects Harris’s role, but the legal battle over her termination is far from over.