TSOs do have some due process rights, afforded to them as government employees. We saw how that ended up working in the Hawaii screener case.

I have no problem with TSA being a bit circumspect about what discipline they're taking until the process concludes. The last thing we would want to see is a fired TSO having their firing reversed on a legal technicality, because TSA wouldn't follow its own rules.

Not that I'm saying this offense deserved termination. I'm staying out of that debate entirely.