An arbitrator has ordered The Washington Post to reinstate a Black opinion writer who was fired after making social media posts concerning violent white men in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's killing. The ruling also mandates that The Post award the writer, Karen Attiah, full back pay and lost benefits.
Attiah, who was the founding global opinion editor and the only Black female opinion writer at The Post at the time of her termination, was fired on September 11, 2023, accused of "gross misconduct" for her social media activity. The newspaper cited violations of its social media policies, harm to the organization's integrity, and potential endangerment of staff safety.
Her termination followed the September 10 killing of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA. Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a public appearance at Utah Valley University. Kirk had a history of making provocative statements, including criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd.
In the days after Kirk's death, Attiah made several posts on her Bluesky account. One post stated, "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." Another post read, "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."
Arbitrator Sarah Miller Espinosa found that the newspaper failed to establish that Attiah engaged in gross misconduct, determining that The Post did not have "good and sufficient cause to terminate" her employment, a violation of the collective bargaining agreement with the newspaper's union.
Attiah announced the ruling on Instagram, calling it "a victory for journalists everywhere." The Democracy Defenders Fund, which represented Attiah along with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, stated that the ruling supports the principle that "corporate media institutions cannot use retaliatory discipline to silence journalists who address uncomfortable truths."
The Washington Post issued a statement acknowledging respect for the arbitration process but declined further comment.
Attiah's firing was among several dismissals across various professions that occurred after comments were made regarding Kirk's death, sparking broader discussions about First Amendment rights and professional conduct online.