554 events on record Subscribe July 3, 2026
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UT Knoxville Chancellor fired assistant professor Tamar Shirinian for Facebook post criticizing Charlie Kirk

On February 11, 2026, University of Tennessee Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman terminated anthropology assistant professor Tamar Shirinian, citing "misconduct" over Facebook comments she made about Charlie Kirk following his assassination in September 2025. Shirinian had written on a friend's private Facebook page that Kirk's children were "better off living in a world without a disgusting psychopath like him." Despite Shirinian's subsequent apology, Chancellor Plowman signed the termination letter in February after a months-long administrative investigation launched by UT System President Randy Boyd.

Jurisdiction
state
Location
Knoxville, Tennessee

Abuses documented

Actors

  • Donde Plowman (Chancellor, University of Tennessee Knoxville)
  • University of Tennessee

On February 11, 2026, University of Tennessee Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman signed a termination letter removing anthropology assistant professor Tamar Shirinian from her faculty position, citing "misconduct" stemming from comments she had posted on a friend's private Facebook page following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025. Shirinian had written that Kirk's children were "better off living in a world without a disgusting psychopath like him" and that "the world is better off without him in it." The comments drew immediate backlash and UT System President Randy Boyd announced an investigation on September 15, 2025, the same day Chancellor Plowman placed Shirinian on administrative leave.

The termination letter — dated February 11, 2026 — formally concluded the months-long administrative process. Shirinian had apologized in the interim, describing her remarks as "insensitive" and "uncharacteristic," but the university proceeded with dismissal. Shirinian was an assistant professor of anthropology who had been on the UT Knoxville faculty. The university characterized her Facebook comments as incompatible with its standards of conduct, despite the comments having been posted in a personal capacity on a private social media post about a public figure.

Shirinian filed a federal lawsuit on October 29, 2025 alleging that the university violated her First Amendment rights by placing her on administrative leave and investigating her over constitutionally protected speech. The lawsuit named university officials individually and the UT System as defendants.

Updates

2026-06-30 — UT Board of Trustees approved $1.9M First Amendment settlement [2]

The UT Board of Trustees approved a $1.9 million settlement to end the First Amendment litigation, without reinstating Shirinian to her faculty position. The settlement still required approval from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

Why we recorded this

The First Amendment protects public university employees from termination for political speech on personal social media. A state university fired an anthropology professor for calling a political figure a "disgusting psychopath" on Facebook — protected political expression, however offensive. The university's deployment of an administrative investigation and termination letter for off-campus social media speech chills academic and political expression at a state institution, illustrating how government employers can use their authority to punish criticism of public figures.

Sources

  1. UT Knoxville chancellor fired assistant professor over Charlie Kirk comment in February, letter says — WVLT primary accessed July 1, 2026
  2. Board of trustees approves $1.9M settlement with Shirinian over Charlie Kirk comment — UT Daily Beacon secondary accessed July 1, 2026
  3. Professor awarded $1.9 million after being fired for criticizing Charlie Kirk — The Washington Post secondary accessed July 1, 2026

See also