Trending Now - Indiana University Employee Wins $225,000 After Firing Over Kirk Post
WHO:
Boston.com - Suzanne Swierc, an employee of Ball State University.
The Guardian - Geoffrey Mearns, president of Ball State University.
The Guardian - Stevie Pactor, an ACLU attorney in Indiana.
The Guardian - Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Swierc's attorneys stated that she was among a wave of workers who lost their jobs in both the public and private sectors after posting social media comments and memes about Kirk’s assassination.
The Guardian - Earlier in May 2026, a Florida state agency agreed to pay $485,000 to settle a lawsuit by a former state biologist who was fired after she reposted a meme about Kirk.
The Guardian - In January, Austin Peay State University in Tennessee reinstated a professor and paid him a $500,000 settlement after he sued over his firing for posting a 2023 news headline about Kirk.
The Guardian - Swierc's attorneys stated that her Facebook page's privacy settings walled off her posts from the general public, but someone took a screenshot of her comments on Kirk that was shared widely online.
The Guardian - Mearns said the reaction to Swierc's post resulted in a flood of outraged phone calls and emails to the university, with some callers threatening violence.
Boston.com - Swierc will receive a $225,000 legal settlement after being fired.
The Guardian - Swierc's firing was due to a Facebook post criticizing Charlie Kirk, which Ball State cited as causing “significant disruption” to the campus.
The Guardian - The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Swierc against Ball State University.
The Guardian - Swierc's post referred to Kirk’s killing as a “tragedy” and a “reflection of the violence, fear, and hatred he sowed.”
WHERE:
The Guardian - Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.
The Guardian - Kirk was killed on a university campus in Utah.
WHEN:
The Guardian - Swierc was fired in September 2025.
The Guardian - Kirk was killed on 10 September 2025.
The Guardian - A Florida state agency agreed to pay $485,000 to settle a lawsuit earlier in May 2026.
WHY:
The Guardian - Ball State University claimed Swierc's post threatened to harm student enrollment and fundraising.
The Guardian - The ACLU argued that Swierc's firing violated her constitutional rights as she was “speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern.”
HOW:
The Guardian - Mearns described the reaction to Swierc's post as "extraordinarily damaging to our University’s reputation and image, and it was exceptionally disruptive to our mission and our people."
The Guardian - Mearns described the settlement's payment to Swierc as a “modest monetary payment” that was substantially less than the costs of fighting her lawsuit.
The Guardian - The settlement was reached to avoid the costs of fighting Swierc's lawsuit, which Mearns described as a “modest monetary payment.”
(UPDATED May 27, 2026 14:39 UTC)
Swierc's attorneys have revealed that she was among many workers who lost their jobs in both the public and private sectors after making social media comments and memes about Kirk’s assassination. Earlier this month, a Florida state agency agreed to pay $485,000 to settle a lawsuit from a former state biologist who was fired for reposting a meme about Kirk, while in January, Austin Peay State University in Tennessee reinstated a professor and paid him $500,000 after he sued for being let go over a 2023 news headline about Kirk. Mearns described the fallout from Swierc's post as "extraordinarily damaging to our University’s reputation and image, and it was exceptionally disruptive to our mission and our people."
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(UPDATED May 27, 2026 08:20 UTC)
Swierc's attorneys revealed that her Facebook page's privacy settings kept her posts hidden from the public, yet someone managed to take a screenshot of her comments about Kirk, which then circulated widely online. The backlash to Swierc's post prompted a surge of angry phone calls and emails to the university, with some individuals even making violent threats. Mearns characterized the settlement payment to Swierc as a “modest monetary payment,” significantly lower than the expenses associated with defending against her lawsuit.
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(UPDATED May 26, 2026 23:22 UTC)
Suzanne Swierc, an employee at Ball State University, will receive a $225,000 legal settlement after being fired for a Facebook post that criticized Charlie Kirk, which the university claimed caused significant disruption on campus. The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Swierc, arguing that her dismissal violated her constitutional rights as she was speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern. Ball State's president, Geoffrey Mearns, noted that the settlement was reached to avoid the costs of fighting the lawsuit, describing it as a modest monetary payment.