Published On 1/7/2026
The University of Tennessee has reached a $1.9 million settlement with former anthropology professor Tamar Sherinian, who was fired after she posted comments critical of conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his murder last September.
The settlement came after Sherinian filed a lawsuit against the university on charges of violating the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which preserves the right to freedom of expression.
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The university approved the agreement during a meeting last Monday evening, but the settlement does not include returning Sherinian to her academic position, knowing that she was only months away from being confirmed academically at the university after five years of teaching, according to a Washington Post report.
Case details
Sherinian had filed the lawsuit against the university president, the university system president, and the faculty council president, asserting that the procedures for dismissing her were retaliatory and because of her personal opinions.
The New York Times reported the controversial comment, as Sherinian wrote in a private post on Facebook after Kirk’s killing: “The world is better without him.”
She added, “For those who say they feel sad for his wife and children, his children are better off because they will live in a world where there is no disgusting psychopath like him. As for his wife, she is sick because she married him, so I don’t care about her feelings.”
According to the New York Times and the Washington Post, the former professor deleted the post, apologized, and met with university officials before she was fired.
For his part, Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, John Compton, said that the settlement will spare the institution from wasting time and resources in continuing the case, while Sherinian’s lawyer, Rob Bigelow, described the agreement as “a solution acceptable to both parties.”
Professional targeting series
Sherinian’s case is not an isolated case, but rather came within a broader wave of measures that affected people due to publications or statements regarding Kirk’s killing.
According to what the Washington Post reported from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Freedom of Expression, the case is among 17 lawsuits filed based on the First Amendment for people who were subjected to dismissal or sanctions for their comments on Kirk’s killing, at least 7 of which ended in settlements, while many were unable to get their jobs back.
The killing of the conservative activist sparked a wide wave of controversy, as an investigation conducted by Reuters revealed that more than 600 people were subjected to suspension, dismissal, investigation, or disciplinary measures due to their comments on the incident, according to a Washington Post report.
In the Sherinian case, the New York Times indicates that pressure escalated after a user on the “X” platform drew the attention of Republican Representative Tim Burchett to the professor’s comments, and he responded with the phrase, “I will handle it,” before the university placed her on administrative leave, and then began dismissal procedures days later.
The newspaper notes that Burchett had previously called for the dismissal of employees in public education institutions who criticized Kirk.
The case comes at a time when controversy continues within the United States of America regarding the limits of freedom of expression, and the extent of the authority of public institutions to punish their employees for their opinions published outside the scope of work.
