HAMPTON, Va. — On Thursday, a federal judge ordered President Donald Trump's administration to reinstate thousands of probationary workers who were let go in mass firings last month.
Watch: Judge orders Trump to reinstate probationary workers let go in mass firings
U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ordered the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury to immediately offer reinstatement to employees terminated on or about Feb. 13 and 14 using guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director, Charles Ezell.
There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers across federal agencies.
Recently, the VA announced more than 1,400 employees were being cut nationwide. Those cuts included employees at the Hampton VA.
LaShavia Prather says she had worked as a secretary at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center for about 10 months before she got a shocking email with the news.
“In big letters, it said ‘TERMINATED’ in the subject line,” Prather said. “I thought it was a joke. I thought we got hacked.”
She quickly realized it was not a joke. She said she had gone to her car but then decided to go back in and try to email someone, and that’s when she said her access card no longer worked.
Prather says she has not yet been contacted about returning to her job. She is expecting her fifth child and says she is keeping her options open.
“I’m trying not to put all my eggs in a basket, like my grandmother says, and end up with that disappointment and heartache," she said.
The veteran and mother says she’s been staying informed partly through AFGE Local 2328, which is representing employees of the Hampton VA Medical Center.
The group shared a news article about the judge’s ruling, and above it read, in part: #SaveOurVeterans and #FireElon.
