University of Kwazulu-Natal

People Are Getting Fired For Their Charlie Kirk Posts Distractify

Bonisiwe Shabane
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people are getting fired for their charlie kirk posts distractify

Many of those who celebrated Kirk's death found themselves quickly out of a job. When news broke on Sept. 10, 2025, that right wing commentator Charlie Kirk had been slain by a gunman at a rally in Utah, ripples of shock moved through the internet. Many people were shocked and horrified at the death of a 31-year-old husband and father, while some lamented his loss as a voice for their beliefs. But there were some areas of the internet that turned celebratory, as people pointed out that Kirk's beliefs included that Black people and women are inferior, transgender people shouldn't be respected, and that people... For several of these people celebrating, they quickly found themselves fired after sharing their posts about Kirk's death.

Here's what we know about the situation. People embrace in front of a memorial for Charlie Kirk at the Turning Point USA headquarters on September 12, 2025 in Phoenix. Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Wednesday in Utah. Eric Thayer/Getty Images hide caption Over thirty people across the country have been fired, put on leave, investigated or faced calls to resign because of social media posts criticizing Charlie Kirk or expressing schadenfreude about the conservative influencer's assassination... And more may be to come: some GOP lawmakers and officials are signaling their readiness to punish people for their speech.

Conservative activists are collecting and publicizing social media posts and profiles that they say "celebrated" his death and are calling for them to lose their jobs. "If they have their picture on their profile, even without a name, download the picture and reverse image search it," posted right-wing influencer Joey Mannarino. "Cross-reference it with their LinkedIn profile and find their place of employment. Call the place of employment, leave Google reviews." Some Republican elected officials, along with right-wing influencers with large followings, including Laura Loomer and Libs of TikTok, the account run by activist Chaya Raichik, shared screenshots of offending posts and demanded action. Individuals who have posted social media content about Charlie Kirk risk losing their jobs.

According to multiple media reports, pilots, teachers and professors are among those who have been fired or suspended after discussing Kirk's murder online. While there has been an outpouring of grief from his supporters after Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session on campus, there have... The reports of people being fired over their social media content have also raised questions about the line between free speech and permitting hateful content online. A Reuters report on Saturday claimed that at least 15 people have been fired or suspended from their jobs because of posting about Kirk online. An NPR report said the number is 33. As the nation grapples with the Sept.

10 assassination of Charlie Kirk, some people have found themselves out of a job for their response to the violence. Public figures, academics and everyday business owners have faced consequences for comments and social media posts that contained celebrations or other musings that attracted swift condemnation. A similar phenomenon happened in the wake of the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, who in 2024 was campaigning for office. The backlash continued on Sept. 13, with reports of a Secret Service agent, Office Depot worker, junior Nasdaq employee and a U.S. Marine all on leave or fired in recent days.

"No matter how private your life is, everybody has an audience," said Karen North, a professor of digital social media at the University of Southern California and a psychologist, told USA TODAY in 2024... "And there’s always an audience for people misbehaving." Mourners have honored Kirk as a leader in the conservative movement. Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way. The analyses provided indicate that multiple employees have been fired or disciplined for posting about Charlie Kirk's death [1] [1].

These firings have been attributed to various factors, including reputational harm, policy violations, and at-will employment [1]. The employers' actions have been supported by the law, which allows private-sector employers to fire employees for off-duty speech with little legal obligation to protect it [2]. Public officials, such as Vice President JD Vance, have urged employers to take action against employees who celebrate Kirk's death [3]. The debate surrounding these firings has sparked discussions about the limits of free speech in the workplace [4] [5] [6]. Several companies, including Nasdaq, United Airlines, and MSNBC, have fired employees for making insensitive or celebratory comments about Kirk's death [1] [7]. 2.

Missing context/alternative viewpoints A key aspect missing from the original statement is the distinction between public and private employers [5]. While public employers may have to balance employees' free speech rights, private employers have more discretion to fire employees for speech deemed disruptive [5]. The role of state law and union status in protecting employee free speech rights is also crucial [5]. Additionally, the context of the comments made by employees, including whether they were celebratory or insensitive, is essential in understanding the employers' actions [7]. Alternative viewpoints, such as the impact of these firings on employees' freedom of expression and the potential for chilling effects on speech, are also worth considering [6].

The involvement of state officials, such as the Florida Department of Education, in investigating and disciplining educators who have commented on Kirk's death, adds another layer of complexity to the issue [8]. 3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement Dozens of social media posts and messages about the murder of Charlie Kirk, including some that celebrated his death, are being spotlighted by conservative activists, Republican elected officials and a doxxing website as part... Prominent far-right influencer Laura Loomer, a US senator, and a site called “Expose Charlie’s Murderers” have all drawn attention to people who have posted messages about Kirk’s Wednesday assassination. The campaigns show how social media posts or personal messages — even by accounts with few followers or from people who are not public figures — could easily be surfaced and publicized, and people’s...

The Charlie’s Murderers site, whose domain was registered anonymously and which says it is not a doxxing site, claimed it has “received nearly 30,000 submissions,” according to a message on the site’s front page... At the time there were a few dozen submissions published on the site. “This website will soon be converted into a searchable database of all 30,000 submissions, filterable by general location and job industry. This is a permanent and continuously-updating archive of Radical activists calling for violence.” As of Monday, the site was taken down after accepting donations in cryptocurrency. An X account with more than 100,000 followers claiming to be controlled by the “political operatives” behind the site said it had rebranded as the “Charlie Kirk Data Foundation” but does not feature the...

That site was also taken down later that day. "I feel like someone should release the files." Context: On a September 2025 episode of Fox and Friends, Brian Kilmeade said, "Or, uh, involuntary lethal injection, or something, just kill 'em" during a discussion about people experiencing homelessness and mental illness. He has since apologized and walked back the statement. Context: On a September 2025 episode of Fox and Friends, Brian Kilmeade said, "Or, uh, involuntary lethal injection, or something, just kill 'em" during a discussion about people experiencing homelessness and mental illness. He has since apologized and walked back the statement.

Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.

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