Austin Peay to pay $500,000 and reinstate professor fired over Charlie Kirk post

A tenured professor fired by Austin Peay State University in September over a social media post about the killing of Charlie Kirk will receive a $500,000 settlement and has been reinstated, the university confirmed. The professor, Darren Michael, 56, who teaches acting and directing, was dismissed after a Sept.

12 Facebook post that shared a 2023 Newsweek article quoting Mr. Kirk about the right to bear arms. The post drew backlash from conservatives, including Senator Marsha Blackburn, and the university’s president, Michael Licari, said the post had caused “significant reputational damage” to the school; the president’s office also described the post as “disrespectful,” according to Clarksville Now.

Austin Peay acknowledged that the initial firing had violated the professor’s due-process rights and placed him on paid suspension less than two weeks later while pursuing termination. The settlement, first reported by WKRN and obtained by The Times, reinstated Mr. Michael on Dec.

30 and ended a more than three-month dispute. Tennessee’s governor, attorney general and comptroller approved the agreement, which officials said helped the university avert potential litigation. University officials confirmed the reinstatement but declined further comment and did not dispute the financial terms.

Key Topics

Politics, Darren Michael, Austin Peay, Charlie Kirk, Marsha Blackburn, Facebook