Hundreds of individuals across the United States faced termination or disciplinary action for social media posts that celebrated or mocked the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025. In the aftermath, some of these individuals have received significant financial settlements following legal challenges.
Retired Tennessee police officer Larry Bushart, 61, was among those who faced severe repercussions. He was detained for over a month and faced felony charges of "threatening mass violence" after sharing a Facebook meme that juxtaposed a quote from then-President Donald Trump about "getting over" a school shooting with a caption suggesting its relevance to Kirk's assassination. Prosecutors argued the post was a veiled threat, leading to Bushart's arrest on a $2 million bond. The charges were eventually dropped, and in May 2026, Tennessee officials settled a lawsuit with Bushart for $835,000.
Greg Greubel, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) who represented Bushart, described the wave of firings and punishments as "unprecedented," noting that it was based on a single event. Studies indicate that over 600 people nationwide experienced repercussions for their reactions to Kirk's death.
As of May 2026, FIRE reported tracking at least 13 federal lawsuits filed by individuals disciplined or terminated for their online commentary on the assassination. One of the largest settlements reported was $1.9 million approved for Dr. Tamar Shirinian, a former UT Knoxville professor. Shirinian was placed on leave and subsequently fired for personal Facebook posts that included calling Kirk a "disgusting psychopath" and stating "the world is better off without him in it." Her settlement was approved by the UT Board of Trustees on June 29, 2026.
In another case, Maria Ruhtenberg, an attorney with the Iowa Office of Public Defenders, was fired within five days of Kirk's death for posting "Live by the sword, die by the sword" and "You reap what you sow." She later received a $125,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit.
Greubel, who also represented other individuals impacted by the aftermath, emphasized that public employees generally have rights to express opinions on their own time, even on controversial matters, unless their speech causes a disruption to the work environment. Monica Meeks, a former employee of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, lost her job two days after Kirk's killing. Meeks was terminated after being reported anonymously for commenting "white supremacist" on a friend's Facebook post, despite not directly addressing Kirk's assassination. Her employer stated she "revealed bias and disregard toward the very people she was tasked with serving." Meeks has filed a federal lawsuit, and her attorney suggested she could be entitled to a settlement of "hundreds of thousands" due to the nature of her employment.
Despite the legal actions and settlements, some individuals, like Bushart, have continued to post online, sharing commentary and what the source describes as "jokes" directed at political figures.