Woman fired by Ball State University over Charlie Kirk post will get $225,000 in settlement
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Suzanne Swierc, a former Ball State University employee, will receive $225,000 to settle a lawsuit claiming her firing over a private Facebook post criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk violated her free speech rights.
- The American Civil Liberties Union argued that Swierc was speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern, and the university's retaliation breached her First Amendment rights.
- Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns defended the termination, citing significant disruption to campus, threats to student enrollment and fundraising, and backlash from Swierc’s post.
- Swierc’s firing is part of a broader pattern where several public and private sector employees lost jobs over social media posts about Kirk’s assassination; some have won six-figure settlements.
- Swierc’s Facebook post was private but widely shared via screenshot, leading to outraged calls and threats to the university’s reputation, prompting Ball State to take action against her.