Science Under Siege: The NOAA Firings You Haven’t Heard About

On April 1, 2025, without fanfare or press release, the Trump administration began executing one of the most consequential federal workforce purges in recent history. In a move that echoes the controversial Schedule F policy from his first term, President Trump has quietly revived the plan under a new label, “Schedule Policy/Career.” The new classification strips targeted employees of long-standing civil service protections, effectively rendering them fireable at will.

The effort appears to be part of a broader campaign to reshape the federal workforce into a body that is ideologically loyal rather than merit-based. Agencies have begun sending out “letters of intent” to high-level staff—primarily GS-14 and GS-15 level employees, informing them that their positions have been identified for potential reclassification. Many of these individuals are scientists, policy analysts, environmental regulators, and technical specialists. What makes this especially alarming is that employees are being urged to consider early retirement or voluntary separation incentives, with a looming April 17 deadline to decide.

But there’s a catch: the list of reclassifications isn’t due to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) until April 20, three days after employees must decide whether to walk away.

“How do they make an informed decision without that info,” one NOAA employee asked, “and only a ‘firing ax’ hanging over their necks?” This chilling uncertainty is not accidental, it appears to be a calculated strategy to push out federal experts under a veil of plausible deniability. Employees are not being given confirmation as to whether they are on the list or not, yet they are expected to make potentially life-altering career decisions based on fear and ambiguity.

The agency at the center of this purge is NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Though most Americans know NOAA for weather forecasts and hurricane tracking, the agency’s reach is far greater. It plays a critical regulatory role in environmental assessments, marine conservation, fisheries management, and the permitting of major infrastructure projects, including those pursued by the military and large corporations. These are precisely the kinds of assessments that tend to slow down, or block projects favored by corporate donors and politically connected interests.

Internal sources confirm that NOAA’s early lists for reclassification included scientists working under statutes like the Endangered Species Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act. But after initial resistance, higher-level officials reportedly demanded a broader sweep, even targeting administrative support staff like procurement officers, individuals who do not set policy but simply “do the paperwork.”

Meanwhile, acting NOAA Fisheries Administrator Emily Menashes attempted to downplay concerns in an email to staff, stating that Schedule Policy/Career roles would remain career positions and not political appointments. But her message included a telling caveat: while personal support for the president is not required, failure to implement the administration’s policies would be grounds for dismissal.

These moves have triggered an immediate backlash. The National Treasury Employees Union has filed a lawsuit, arguing the administration is unlawfully circumventing congressional intent and established federal regulations, many of which were reinforced under the Biden administration to specifically prevent a revival of Schedule F. Legal scholars and union leaders warn this is the first step toward eliminating the merit-based civil service altogether, replacing it with a loyalty-based workforce more akin to authoritarian regimes.

In parallel, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has been instrumental in implementing federal workforce cuts, including at NOAA. Reports indicate that over 1,000 NOAA employees have already been terminated or resigned, with another 1,000 on track to leave in the coming weeks. That’s nearly 20% of the agency’s workforce, a gutting that will undoubtedly impact environmental oversight, climate research, and disaster preparedness.

The scientific community has not remained silent. More than 1,900 scientists affiliated with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have signed an open letter warning that these actions represent an existential threat to the independence, integrity, and function of federal scientific institutions.

While the mainstream press has largely buried this story, it is no exaggeration to say this effort may reshape the federal government for a generation. By hollowing out expertise, consolidating power, and ensuring obedience through fear, the administration is laying the groundwork for a government that answers not to the Constitution, but to the whims of the executive and his inner circle.

What is happening at NOAA is just the beginning. The deadline for final reclassification lists is April 20. In the days ahead, thousands more federal employees may discover they too are being reclassified, discarded, or coerced into early exits—without recourse or protection.

This is retribution through reclassification. And it must not go unnoticed.