At least one probationary employee fired from the Columbia Environmental Research Center, or CERC, has been sent a termination letter that contradicts their performance review, as well as other information about their position and tenure.
KBIA previously reported multiple probationary employees have been fired from the center as part of a nationwide effort by the Trump administration to curb the federal workforce. CERC is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Interior.
National outlets including Reuters and Business Insider have reported that the letters received by fired federal employees have cited performance issues as the reason for termination, despite many employees receiving positive reviews.
One employee who was fired from CERC, says their letter contained the same – and the inaccuracies don’t stop there.
The source, who spoke to KBIA on condition of anonymity, said they didn’t receive a performance review until their last day – and it was overwhelmingly positive, with all four elements evaluated as “outstanding.”
However, their termination letter said they were fired because they failed to “demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment because your subject matter knowledge, skills, and abilities do not meet the Department’s current needs.”
KBIA has reviewed these documents.
While the document correctly states the employee’s position in one section, it states a different position in another. The document also incorrectly states the employee’s start date when compared to another document from the beginning of their tenure. It also listed the location of another USGS center, not in Columbia, as their place of work.
“(T)his Memorandum documents and provides written notice of the Department of the Interior decision to terminate, during the probationary period, your competitive service appointment … at Columbia Environmental Research Center in Norcross, GA,” the letter stated.
The Columbia Environmental Research Center is in Columbia, Missouri, not in Norcross, Georgia.
“Their whole process has been rushed and sloppy, and it's very frustrating to look at,” the employee said.
Another employee said their work location was also listed incorrectly.
Neither the USGS nor the Department of Interior responded to KBIA’s request for comment. More than 2,000 employees have been fired from the Department of Interior in the last week.
