Trump’s Abrupt Firing of STB Member Lands in Legal Limbo

# STB Board Member’s Trump Firing Lands in Legal Limbo

A federal judge’s opinion chronicles a former Surface Transportation Board member’s challenge to his abrupt removal by President Donald Trump. The case centers on whether Primus was fired because of his race and whether the Supreme Court’s intervening decision in *Slaughter* changed the constitutional fight.

Robert Primus served for years on the independent agency that oversees major parts of the nation’s rail and freight system. Then, in a short White House email, he was told his position was “terminated, effective immediately”—with no explanation beyond a thank-you for his service. Primus sued Trump and other officials, alleging the removal violated the Fifth Amendment because it was racially motivated.

The key legal question was not simply whether the president could remove an STB member. It was whether Primus could pursue a constitutional damages or removal claim against the administration—and how Supreme Court precedent governing presidential control of independent agencies affected that claim. The D.C. federal court temporarily put Primus’s first cause of action on hold while awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling in *Slaughter*.

After the Supreme Court issued *Slaughter* in June 2026, Primus told the court he no longer intended to pursue that first count. Judge Dabney Friedrich then directed the parties toward further briefing. The available opinion materials show the court addressing that changed posture, but they do not clearly establish a broader final ruling on every claim.

For the freight industry, the case highlights a vulnerable point in transportation oversight: the independence of the agency that regulates railroads, mergers, rates and other disputes affecting shippers and carriers. If presidents can remove board members without explanation, industry officials may face more political uncertainty; if removal protections remain enforceable, independent regulators may have stronger insulation from White House pressure.

**Bottom Line:** Primus’s unexplained firing exposed a major fight over presidential power and transportation-agency independence. **Should presidents be able to remove independent transportation regulators without giving a reason?**