The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began sending final termination notices this week to roughly 600 employees, including about 100 employees who worked in violence prevention programs.
Employees received letters informing them that their positions were being eliminated as part of the agency’s attempt to realign resources and streamline operations, with some employees still set to receive notices at a later time, according to the Associated Press.
The affected employees have been notified this week that their positions are being cut as part of a restructuring plan upheld by a federal court.
These terminations come as part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ plans, which were announced in March, to reduce the CDC workforce by about 2,400 employees.
A source close to the situation told Fox News that the terminations took place “across the agency, including the Division of Violence Prevention, EEO, FOIA, the Office of Financial Resources, the offices of the chief information and chief operating officers, and more.”
The terminations included roughly 100 employees who worked in violence prevention, with AP reporting that disrupted projects include those focused on rape prevention, child abuse, and teen dating violence.
The American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing more than 2,000 members at the CDC, said it is aware of the terminations, but there is still no indication about which specific employees have lost their jobs “due to a staggering lack of transparency from HHS,” according to AP.
A recent ruling by a judge protected many of the CDC employees from potential cuts, but this most recent set of terminations comes from the group of employees who were not protected under this ruling, per Forbes.
This ruling came after the CDC attempted to terminate thousands of roles at the beginning of April, with the judge now clarifying which of these roles are eligible to be terminated.
Tom Simon, retired senior director for scientific programs at the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, criticized the terminations and said the CDC will struggle in the future due to these cuts.
“There are nationally and internationally recognized experts that will be impossible to replace,” he said, per AP.