The University of Tennessee has agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a former professor who was fired after making social media posts about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Professor Tamar Shirinian was dismissed from her position following posts on X, formerly Twitter, that included calling Kirk a "disgusting psychopath" and referencing his "assassination."
Shirinian had sued the university, alleging her termination violated her First Amendment rights. The settlement, reached in late 2023, resolves the legal action without an admission of wrongdoing by the university. The lawsuit detailed that Shirinian's termination came after Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, contacted the university about her posts.
The university's settlement comes after a period of legal dispute, with Shirinian's legal team arguing that her comments, while inflammatory, did not warrant dismissal and were protected speech. The terms of the settlement include the financial payout and the resolution of the employment dispute.