Ball State University to pay $225,000 in Charlie Kirk free speech lawsuit

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleCharlie Kirk, founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, was killed on September 10 (AFP/Getty)Ball State University has agreed to pay $225,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by former employee Suzanne Swierc, who alleged her free-speech rights were violated. Swierc was dismissed from her role as director of health promotion and advocacy after making a private Facebook post criticising conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the federal lawsuit, arguing that Swierc's firing violated her constitutional rights as she was “speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern”. Ball State cited “significant disruption” to the campus community and threats to student enrolment and fundraising as reasons for Swierc's dismissal, with its president defending the decision. This settlement follows similar cases where employees dismissed over social media posts about Kirk have won legal settlements, including a Florida state agency paying $485,000 to settle a lawsuit by a former state biologist.In fullUniversity employee fired over Charlie Kirk post to receive $225K legal settlementThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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