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I<\/span>n the aftermath of far-right activist Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination, dozens across the United States have been fired, suspended or disciplined over social media posts about Kirk and his death, as employers and public officials crack down on remarks they deem \u201cinappropriate\u201d.<\/p>\n After Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on 10 September while speaking at Utah Valley University, members of the Trump administration called on the public to expose anyone appearing to be \u201ccelebrating\u201d his killing.<\/p>\n \u201cCall them out, and hell, call their employer,\u201d JD Vance said. \u201cWe don\u2019t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the past week, conservative activists and politicians have been circulating and publicizing social media posts about Kirk and his death that they deem inappropriate and that they claim celebrates or mocks Kirk\u2019s death. Similarly, they have waged pressure campaigns urging employers to take action against the individuals.<\/p>\n Civil liberties groups and free speech advocates have warned that the wave of firings and expulsions risks chilling free expression and could infringe on first amendment protections.<\/p>\n Here are some of the people who have reportedly been affected by the crackdown so far:<\/p>\n The US Secret Service placed an employee on leave last week after reportedly writing in a Facebook post that that Kirk \u201cspewed hate and racism on his show\u201d, adding: \u201cAt the end of the day, you answer to GOD, and speak things into existence. You can only circumvent karma, she doesn\u2019t leave,\u201d according to CBS News.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the agency confirmed to the Guardian: \u201cThis employee was immediately put on administrative leave, and an investigation has begun.\u201d<\/p>\n The Secret Service \u201cwill not tolerate behavior that violates our code of conduct\u201d, the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n Fox News also reported that an employee at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) was placed on administrative leave over an Instagram post describing Kirk as \u201cthe literal racist homophobe misogynist\u201d.<\/p>\n A Fema spokesperson told the Guardian that the \u201cemployee\u2019s words are revolting and unconscionable\u201d and that the employee \u201cwas immediately placed on administrative leave\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expect all public servants to uphold the highest standard of professionalism, respect and integrity,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n The US Coast Guard also said on last week that it was \u201caware of inappropriate personal social media activity\u201d made by one of their employees \u201cregarding recent political violence\u201d and that they were \u201cactively investigating this activity and will take appropriate action to hold the individual accountable\u201d.<\/p>\n On Wednesday evening, news broke that Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s late-night show had been suspended \u201cindefinitely\u201d after comments he made about the shooting of Kirk.<\/p>\n In a recent broadcast, Kimmel had suggested that \u201cmany in Maga land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk\u201d, which prompted complaints from the Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr.<\/p>\n Carr said: \u201cThese companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Hours later, ABC, owned by Disney, announced that Kimmel\u2019s show would be \u201cpre-empted indefinitely\u201d after after affiliate operator Nexstar called Kimmel\u2019s remarks \u201coffensive and insensitive\u201d.<\/p>\n This came as last week MSNBC fired senior political analyst Matthew Dowd after he suggested on air that Kirk\u2019s own rhetoric may have contributed to the shooting that killed him. Dowd\u2019s remarks were condemned by MSNBC as \u201cinappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n In a subsequent Substack article on Friday, Dowd confirmed that MSNBC had fired him and said: \u201cThe Right Wing media mob ginned up, went after me on a plethora of platforms, and MSNBC reacted to that mob.\u201d<\/p>\n Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah said on Monday that she was also fired over a series of social media posts \u201cspeaking out against political violence, racial double standards, and America\u2019s apathy toward guns\u201d following Kirk\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, PHNX Sports, an Arizona sports network, confirmed that it had parted ways with one of its employees over comments over comments related to Kirk\u2019s death, according to multple reports. Several outlets have reported that it was one of PHNX\u2019s sports writers.<\/p>\n Across the country, US educators and employees of educational institutions are being fired or placed on leave over social media posts about Kirk and his death.<\/p>\n At Clemson University in South Carolina, the university said on Monday that it had fired an employee \u201cdue to their social media posts\u201d and also later announced that two faculty members had been dismissed over social media posts in response to Kirk\u2019s killing that the school deemed \u201cinappropriate\u201d.<\/p>\n The university did not disclose the content of the posts.<\/p>\n Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, had publicly urged the school to terminate the employees.<\/p>\n \u201cFree speech doesn\u2019t prevent you from being fired if you\u2019re stupid and have poor judgement,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n In Tennessee, Republican senator Marsha Blackburn called for an employee at Middle Tennessee State University to be fired for reportedly writing in a post that they had \u201cZERO sympathy\u201d for Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n The university confirmed to the Tennessean that the employee was terminated.<\/p>\n In Texas, Texas State University ended the enrollment of a student who mocked Kirk\u2019s assassination during a campus memorial event.<\/p>\n At Texas Tech University, a student was also reportedly expelled after a video showed her disrupting a vigil for Kirk and shouting \u201cF–k y\u2019all homie dead, he got shot in the head.\u201d<\/p>\n The Texas Education Agency reported that it is investigating about 180 complaints against teachers accused of posting inappropriate remarks online about Kirk\u2019s death, according to the Texas Tribune.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s teachers union called the investigations a \u201cpolitical witch hunt against Texas educators\u201d.<\/p>\n The University of Mississippi fired a staffer who they said \u201cre-shared hurtful insensitive comments on social media\u201d regarding Kirk\u2019s killing. Florida Atlantic University also reportedly placed a tenured professor on leave over sharing posts about Kirk\u2019s politics in the wake of the assassination, according to the Palm Beach Post.<\/p>\n The American Association of University Professors has condemned the wave of disciplinary measures.<\/p>\n \u201cThe AAUP notes with great alarm the rash of recent administrative actions to discipline faculty, staff, and student speech in the aftermath of the murder of Charlie Kirk\u201d they wrote. \u201cWe write to remind leaders of colleges and universities of their fundamental duty to protect academic freedom and the absolute necessity to ensure that the freedom to discuss topics of public import without constraint is not curtailed under political pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n And not only universities have been affected. Public school teachers in at least 15 states including Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Idaho, Ohio, Oregon, Massachusetts, Michigan, Florida and Missouri have also been suspended or fired over posts about Kirk after his killing.<\/p>\n And in New Jersey, local outlets report that a\u200b\u200b school district was forced to shelter in place last week after receiving violent threats following a controversial social media post about Kirk\u2019s killing falsely attributed to a district employee.<\/p>\n The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has announced that \u201cvisa revocations are under way\u201d for individuals in the country on visas who are \u201ccheering on the public assassination of a political figure\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cPrepare to be deported,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cYou are not welcome in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n The state department did not immediately respond to the Guardian\u2019s request for details on whether there have been any visa revocations in connection with comments about Kirk.<\/p>\n Over the weekend, the US transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, said that American Airlines had \u201cimmediately grounded\u201d pilots accused of celebrating Kirk\u2019s death and \u201cremoved from service\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis behavior is disgusting and they should be fired,\u201d Duffy said. \u201cAny company responsible for the safety of the traveling public cannot tolerate that behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cWe heal as a country when we send the message that glorifying political violence is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement to the Guardian, American Airlines said they condemn \u201cviolence of any kind\u201d and that \u201chate-related or hostile behavior runs contrary to our purpose, which is to care for people on life\u2019s journey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEmployees who promote such violence on social media were immediately removed from service,\u201d they added. \u201cWe will continue to initiate action with team members who display this kind of behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n Duffy also praised United Airlines for taking similar action and placing one of their pilots out of service for also reportedly celebrating Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n \u201cThey must be fired,\u201d Duffy said. \u201cThere\u2019s no room for political violence in America and anyone applauding it will face the consequences. ESPECIALLY those we count on to ensure the safety of the flying public.\u201d<\/p>\n United Airlines told the Guardian that they have \u201cbeen clear with our customers and employees that there\u2019s zero tolerance for politically motivated violence or any attempt to justify it\u201d and that they\u2019ve \u201ctaken action on employees in this regard\u201d.<\/p>\n CNN also reported that Delta Air Lines also suspended employees \u201cwhose social media content, related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk, went well beyond healthy, respectful debate\u201d.<\/p>\n The airlines did not disclose details about the posts.<\/p>\n On Saturday, the University of Miami\u2019s health system announced that it had fired an employee over what they described as \u201cunacceptable public commentary\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cFreedom of speech is a fundamental right,\u201d the health system said. \u201cAt the same time, expressions that condone or endorse violence or are incompatible with our policies or values are not acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement did not elaborate on the remarks made.<\/p>\n In Michigan, a nurse was reportedly placed on leave for making controversial remarks about Kirk\u2019s death, and another healthcare worker in Virginia was also reportedly fired over for similar reasons.<\/p>\n The Boston Globe reported that a Massachusetts-based biomedical research center fired an employee who allegedly posted a \u201cdeeply offensive\u201d comment about Kirk\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n Employees in various other industries are also facing backlash over social media posts related to Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n The Carolina Panthers reportedly fired a public relations staffer for social media posts about Kirk and his death.<\/p>\n \u201cThe views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers,\u201d the organization said. \u201cWe do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual.\u201d<\/p>\n A junior strategist at Nasdaq was also fired for social media posts related to Kirk\u2019s shooting.<\/p>\n \u201cNasdaq has a zero-tolerance policy toward violence and any commentary that condones or celebrates violence,\u201d the company said in a post on X.<\/p>\n Law firm Perkins Coie told Bloomberg Law that they fired a lawyer who posted a message on social media that criticized Kirk after his death.<\/p>\n The New Orleans and Toledo fire departments have said that they have launched investigations into employees accused of making insensitive posts about Kirk.<\/p>\n In Illinois, a burger restaurant reportedly fired its general manager over a social media post about Kirk\u2019s killing and meanwhile in Michigan, an Office Depot employee was also fired after allegedly refusing to print flyers related to Kirk.<\/p>\n On Monday, attorney general Pam Bondi threatened to prosecute the Office Deport employee.<\/p>\nGovernment workers<\/h2>\n
Academics<\/h2>\n
Visa holders<\/h2>\n
Airlines<\/h2>\n
Healthcare workers<\/h2>\n
Other workers<\/h2>\n