Several People Who Were Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments Got Big Payouts or Were Given Their Jobs Back
Following Charlie Kirk’s death last year, various individuals were either fired, suspended, or disciplined for celebrating his assassination, but since then, several have been reinstated, and some have been paid huge sums of money.
A Reuters report from November revealed that over 600 people were fired or punished for posting about Kirk’s assassination, which occurred Sept. 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University during a TPUSA event.
They included members of law enforcement agencies, nurses, teachers, professors, journalists, entertainers, military members, and more.
The social media account “Libs of TikTok” led the charge, sharing screenshots of posts that either mocked or disparaged Kirk after he was violently shot in the neck.
The most recognizable person to face any consequences was ABC’s late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. He was initially taken off the air after falsely telling his audience that Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA conservative. However, he was only hit with a brief suspension and soon returned to action.
Some of the individuals who were punished have pushed back and were granted huge paydays because of it.
In June, National Public Radio reported on Maria Ruhtenberg, who had been fired from her job last September, after one of Ruhtenberg’s friends saw one of her Facebook posts about Kirk’s death and complained to her employer.
Ruhtenberg, who’d spent 15 years as a public defender, wrote things like “live by the sword, die by the sword” and “you reap what you sow.”
She appealed her termination and got her job back. Not only that, but she sued the state and was awarded $125,000.
Iowa high school teacher Melisa Crook sued her district after being fired over Facebook posts about Kirk, according to KCCI-TV.
“He is a terrible human being … terrible,” she wrote. “I do not wish death on anyone, but him not being here is a blessing.”
KCCI reported she was awarded $145,000 plus her salary and benefits for the 2025-26 school year, totaling over $82,000. The Creston Community School District was also ordered to distribute a statement pledging “respect for the diverse opinions, beliefs, and affiliations that exist among our staff, students and families.”
Two professors from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Rebel Cole and Karen Leader, were initially put on leave for posts made about Kirk, but were eventually reinstated, according to WEAR-TV.
Darren Michael got his job back as a tenured professor at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, after being fired for posting a 2023 news story with the headline “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth it to Keep 2nd Amendment.”
He got his job back and walked away with a $500,000 settlement, according to The New York Times.
Additionally, The Tennessean reported that Tennessee has paid out more than $3.2 million in settlements, back pay, and damages related to lawsuits about Charlie Kirk comments.
CBS News noted that in July, English teacher Michelle Mickens of Georgia — who was represented by the now-disgraced Southern Poverty Law Center — managed to reach an official federal lawsuit settlement after sharing a post that seemingly criticized Kirk for his stance on guns. However, the details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Last month, The Associated Press reported that a writer for The Washington Post was ordered to be reinstated almost one year after being fired for comments related to Kirk’s killing.
Karen Attiah had posted on BlueSky that she was, “refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence.”
“If anything, the rush to coddle violent white men is self-protective — that we know they are not used to feeling vulnerable and mortal — and will react violently out of fear. And we will all suffer,” another post reportedly read.
An arbitrator, Sarah Miller Espinosa, ordered that the newspaper grant Attiah full back pay and lost benefits.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
