A flag is not usually something that changes the course of someone’s life. For David Maltinsky, however, it may have changed everything.
The former FBI special agent trainee is continuing his legal battle against the federal government after alleging that he was fired from the FBI Academy in Quantico in October 2025 over a Pride flag displayed at his workstation years earlier.
According to court filings, Maltinsky is now asking a federal judge to compel the release of internal records and testimony related to the decision that ended his FBI career just three weeks before graduation.
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From Pulse to Pride
Maltinsky’s relationship with the FBI spans more than 16 years.
He joined the Bureau in 2009 as an operational support technician in the Los Angeles Field Office before being promoted to staff operations specialist, where he contributed to investigations involving public corruption and international cybercrime.
Following the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, which left 49 people dead and dozens more injured, Maltinsky became increasingly involved in the FBI’s LGBTQIA+ inclusion efforts. According to his complaint, he hoped those initiatives would strengthen the Bureau’s ability to protect all Americans and better understand the communities it serves.
His advocacy eventually led him to serve as Chairperson of the FBI’s Bureau Equality Committee, where he worked to combat workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
In 2022, the Department of Justice recognized those efforts by awarding him the Attorney General’s Equal Employment Opportunity Award.
It was also around that time that the Los Angeles Field Office entrusted Maltinsky with two Pride flags that had previously flown outside the building.
The Flag at the Center of the Lawsuit
According to court documents, Maltinsky displayed one of those flags at his workstation alongside a placard explaining its history and significance.
Then came January 2025.
After a complaint was made about the display, Maltinsky’s supervisor reportedly informed him that “the display of the flag was entirely permissible and appropriate.”
Seeking additional guidance, Maltinsky consulted the office’s Chief Division Counsel, who allegedly confirmed that neither the flag nor its accompanying placard violated “any policy, rule, or regulation.”
Months later, in June 2025, Maltinsky began training at Quantico to become an FBI Special Agent, fulfilling what his attorneys describe as a lifelong dream.
That dream came to an abrupt halt in October.
Three Weeks From Graduation
According to the lawsuit, Maltinsky was called into a meeting with senior FBI officials, including Deputy Assistant Director Alfred Watson, where he was informed that his employment had been terminated.
CBS NEWS EXCLUSIVE: David Maltinsky, a 16-year FBI employee who was weeks away from being elevated to the position of agent, filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired because he had a Pride flag draped near his desk. “I knew I was on a list,” he told CBS News’ @MacFarlaneNews. “There… pic.twitter.com/v5v93ca1cM
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 19, 2025
He was presented with a letter signed by FBI Director Kash Patel.
“After reviewing the facts and circumstances and considering your probationary status, I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment at the Los Angeles Field Office,” the letter, in part, stated.
For Maltinsky’s legal team, that statement is central to the case.
“The FBI had gifted Maltinsky the pride flag in recognition of his prior protected activity,” attorneys wrote in a recent filing. “Defendants freely admitted, in writing, that they fired Maltinsky because he displayed that flag.”
The filing further describes the case as “egregious” and argues that Maltinsky’s termination presents “textbook violations of the First Amendment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
A Case Bigger Than One Flag
Maltinsky’s lawsuit arrives amid broader changes across the federal government.
In May 2025, FBI leadership instructed employees not to acknowledge Pride Month in any official capacity, stating there would be no events, messaging, or recognition using FBI resources. The directive followed the Trump administration’s elimination of federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
While Bureau leadership maintained that the policy “does not lessen the FBI’s commitment to serve and protect every American,” critics argued that the move sent a different message.
Now, Maltinsky’s attorneys are urging the court to reject the government’s effort to dismiss portions of the lawsuit.
“The government’s Motion is an exercise in delay,” they wrote, noting that key constitutional claims will proceed regardless of the outcome of the partial dismissal request.
For now, the legal battle continues.
At its heart is a question that extends beyond one former trainee, one federal agency, or even one flag: When an institution honors someone for who they are and the work they have done, can it later punish them for displaying that same symbol?
A federal court may soon decide.