Professor Fired for Criticizing Charlie Kirk Reaches $1.9 Million Settlement

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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/01/us/tennessee-professor-charlie-kirk-settlement.html

Professor Fired for Criticizing Charlie Kirk Reaches $1.9 Million Settlement
Tamar Shirinian, a former professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, was among those who lost their jobs over their posts about the slain conservative activist.
By Madaleine Rubin
July 1, 2026, 2:43 a.m. ET

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has agreed to pay $1.9 million to a former professor who was fired for a private Facebook post denigrating Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated, the latest in a series of legal settlements offered to employees dismissed or reprimanded after criticizing the conservative activist.

Tamar Shirinian, who was an anthropology professor at the university, sued the school and several top officials last year. She claimed that the university had violated her constitutional rights by penalizing her for comments that were made privately and protected by the First Amendment. Robb Bigelow, a Nashville-based lawyer who represented Ms. Shirinian, confirmed the settlement in an interview on Tuesday.

On Sept. 12, 2025, two days after Mr. Kirk was killed, Ms. Shirinian responded to a friend’s post on Facebook, calling the activist a “disgusting psychopath” and mentioning his wife and children. “The world is better off without him in it,” she wrote.

While the First Amendment protects most political expression, the Supreme Court has established that public institutions have some power to limit employees’ speech on matters of public concern if those comments hinder the institution’s capacity to function.

Still, employees disciplined or discharged for negative comments about Mr. Kirk have won large payouts from their former employers.

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