The backlash to “inappropriate” public comments made in the days following Charlie Kirk’s death has sparked a new wave of firings and suspensions, with a number of university employees disciplined for sharing their views.
It comes as some free speech advocates accuse Republicans of “intimidation tactics” and creating a “culture of fear” over the clampdown, and using the response to the tragedy to stoke turmoil and inflame anger directed at their political opponents.
A campaign by figures on the political far-right to expose and punish those whose comments are deemed objectionable has reached extensively into college campuses around the country, with action taken against multiple faculty members and other employees for social media posts about the murdered rightwing activist.
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It follows reports of teachers, firefighters, journalists, nurses, politicians, a Secret Service employee, a junior strategist at Nasdaq and a worker for a prominent NFL team, being censured in some form after publishing opinions on Kirk’s politics or death.
Numerous examples of campus actions were highlighted in an article published by Politico on Monday, including episodes at universities in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
Trustees at Clemson University were holding an emergency meeting on Monday after criticism from several senior Republicans, including a call from the party’s House judiciary caucus for its defunding.
Clemson announced on Saturday it was suspending one employee and investigating others for “inappropriate social media content”, and that officials will take “decisive and appropriate action” against perceived transgressors.
But the statement also noted that some free speech is protected under the first amendment, and the university “remains committed to upholding the principles of the US constitution and the employment laws of the state of South Carolina”.
Clemson’s position drew ire from Republican South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, who posted on Twitter/X: “Free speech doesn’t prevent you from being fired if you’re stupid and have poor judgement.”
At Florida Atlantic University, an art history professor was placed on leave after posting what officials called “repeated comments on social media … regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk”.
But the professor, Karen Leader, told the Sun Sentinel that she “did not make comments about the ‘assassination,’ the murder of Charlie Kirk. I never mentioned it,” and had just reposted others’ critical commentary about Kirk’s politics, including his extremist positions on race, and gay and transgender rights.
“The FAU president’s posted statement about this is inaccurate. That is verifiable by viewing my feed,” she told the newspaper.
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William Johnson, PEN America’s Florida director, said universities should “respond not with reflex or reprisal but with thought, principle, and restraint”.
He added: “Protecting free expression during times of crisis is not a luxury; it is a core responsibility of educational institutions in Florida and nationwide.”
Some commentators point to what they see as hypocrisy in action taken against workers by their employers given that Kirk was a self-declared advocate for freedom of expression.
“Charlie Kirk was a champion of free speech and anyone who says otherwise will be fired,” Judd Legum, editor of the progressive website Popular Information, said in a mocking post on X on Monday.
Free speech groups, meanwhile, have condemned efforts by far-right individuals, including Donald Trump political allies Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer, and Republican politicians such as South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace, to “doxx” people who have made uncomplimentary posts about Kirk.
Mace urged the public to send her tips about employees believed to be “celebrating” Kirk’s death, and on Monday called for the education department to defund any educational establishment that “refuses to remove or discipline staff who glorify or justify political violence”.
The South Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the efforts amounted to “intimidation tactics” and a “targeted campaign of harassment” of teachers, professors, and other public servants for “political statements published in their personal capacity”.
In a statement, the chapter’s legal director, Allen Chaney, said: “In the face of politicized and sometimes manufactured outrage, we call on school districts and university presidents to model the tolerance for upsetting speech that is demanded by the first amendment so that they might instill that firmly rooted American value in the next generation.”
Trump’s call for “vengeance and retribution” over Kirk’s death, instead of it being an opportunity for national healing and unity, has been echoed by far-right commentators seizing the chance to inflame tensions, other advocates believe.
JD Vance used an appearance as guest host of Kirk’s podcast Monday to assail those he said took joy from Kirk’s death.
Related: Charlie Kirk’s death raises fears of ‘beginning of a darker chapter’ for US violence
“Charlie was gunned down in broad daylight, and well-funded institutions of the left lied about what he said so as to justify his murder,” the US vice-president said.
“This is soulless and evil, but I was struck not just by the dishonesty of the smear, but by the glee over a young husband’s and young father’s death.”
Kristen Shahverdian, program director for campus free speech at PEN America, said college administrators were overreaching.
“This pattern of knee-jerk dismissals raises concerns about institutions responding to political pressure and social media outrage instead of applying consistent standards that respect free speech and due process,” she said.
“These firings reverberate beyond the campus walls, creating a culture of fear across society at large. Universities should rebuke violent rhetoric and condemn offensive speech, but they should not impose blanket firings on protected speech.”
The ACLU and PEN America have bothcondemned political violence.
Rachel Leingang contributed reporting
