Educators win $2.7M over Charlie Kirk social media posts in lawsuits
Pro-life activist swarmed by far-left protesters as one jeers at Charlie Kirk’s murder
Pro-life activist Lydia Taylor Davis describes a chilling encounter with Antifa protesters at a Turning Point USA event, where one celebrated Charlie Kirk’s “murder.” Davis, a Students for Life spokeswoman, highlights the left’s increasing embrace of political violence and attempts to silence free speech. She emphasizes the need for security for pro-life advocates.
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Public universities and school districts have agreed to pay more than $2.7 million to educators disciplined over social media posts about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, including a $1.9 million settlement approved last week, as lawsuits alleging First Amendment violations continue to mount.
NBC News reported Friday that public records show at least five educators have reached settlements with their employers over the past year totaling more than $2.7 million, with a newly approved agreement accounting for the largest share.
Former University of Tennessee professor Tamar Shirinian is set to receive $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the school of violating her constitutional rights after officials sought to discipline her over social media posts criticizing Kirk following his assassination.
CHARLIE KIRK’S PARENTS, WIDOW TO ATTEND TYLER ROBINSON’S PRELIMINARY HEARING NEXT WEEK
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk speaking at an event. (The Washington Post / Getty)
Knox News reported on June 29 that the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees approved a $1.9 million settlement for Shirinian after she called Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 during his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University, a “disgusting psychopath.”
Shirinian was put on administrative leave following a social media post where she had said in part, “The world is better off without him in it,” and added, “His kids are better off living in a world without a disgusting psychopath like him and his wife, well, she’s a sick f— for marrying him so I dont (sic) care about her feelings.”
She later apologized and said it was “insensitive” and “uncharacteristic of me as a person.”
Shirinian was fired on Feb. 11. She will not be reinstated, Knox News reported.
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Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah, shortly before his assassination. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Another university faculty member, Suzanne Swierc, formerly the director of health promotion and advocacy at Ball State University in Indiana, received a $225,000 settlement from the school after she was let go for a private Facebook post about Kirk.
In the post, Swierc wrote, in part, “If you think Charlie Kirk was a wonderful person, we can’t be friends.” She also said his death was “a tragedy” for his family, but also “a reflection of the violence, fear, and hatred he sowed.”
Another professor, Darren Michael, got a $500,000 settlement and was reinstated at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee after he was fired for sharing a post about Kirk.
Michael, an associate professor of acting and directing at APSU since 2007, was fired on Sept. 12, 2025, for resharing a social media post following Kirk’s killing. The post included a headline quoting Kirk’s 2023 remarks that gun-related deaths were “unfortunately” worth it to protect the Second Amendment.
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Charlie Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Joshua Bregy, a climate scientist at Clemson University, was reinstated in a settlement after he was let go for a post critical of Kirk that also condemned violence.
Bregy shared but later deleted a post that said, “I’ll never advocate for violence in any form, but it sounds to me like karma is sometimes swift and ironic,” which was included in full in the lawsuit, the South Carolina Daily Gazette reported. “As Kirk said, ‘play certain games, win certain prizes.’”
NBC News reported that the “reinstatement was a public term of the agreement, but there were also undisclosed private terms, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, which represented Bregy.”
A high school teacher, Melisa Crook, settled with the Creston Community School District in Iowa for $145,000 and her full benefits after a post about Kirk.
In a Sept. 10, 2025, comment made responding to a family member’s Facebook post about Kirk’s assassination, Crook wrote, “He is a terrible human being … terrible. I do not wish death on anyone, but him not being here is a blessing.”
She later apologized on Facebook and said she did “not wish anyone death.”
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Tyler Robinson, center, accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, speaks with his attorneys Richard Novak, Kathryn Nester, left, and Staci Visser, right, before a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
Candice Hale, a former professor at the University of Alabama, has reportedly reached a settlement with the school, AL.com reported Tuesday, for comments she made following Kirk’s assassination last year.
In her social media post, Hale reportedly said, “I don’t give a damn about evil racist, fascist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, mediocre, white men who claim to be Christian and then do everything Christ would not do on Earth.”
Her settlement with the University of Alabama is for an unspecified amount of money, AL.com reported.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the University of Tennessee System said, “We do not have a comment outside what was publicly said in the board meeting on June 29. A link to that meeting can be found here.”
A spokesperson for Austin Peay State University confirmed to Fox News Digital that Michael was reinstated to his full, tenured position on Dec. 30, 2025, has returned to teaching, and is being paid a one-time settlement payment of $500,000.
David King of Tennessee Law Group, Michael’s counsel, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Professor Michael has been returned to his fully tenured position at Austin Peay State University following the settlement of his case with APSU. He is also the current Chair of the APSU faculty Senate.”
“We are seeing attempts now in our legislature to erode tenure protection for faculty in our Tennessee colleges and universities to be able to terminate employment easier to satisfy the elected officials who want to continue to suppress free speech and free thought in our educational institutions,” King added. “The battle continues to stop the thought patrol in our state.”
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Fox News Digital attempted to reach Shirinian, Swierc, Ball State University, Clemson University, Bregy, Creston High School, Crook, University of Alabama and Hale for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
