Florida biologist fired over Charlie Kirk post after his death wins $485K settlement

Florida officials have agreed to pay nearly $485,000 to biologist Brittney Brown, who was fired by the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media following his death.

Brown, who was terminated in September after reposting a meme on her personal Instagram account that questioned Kirk’s empathy towards school shooting victims, filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement. She claimed that the agency’s actions made it difficult for her to find work in her field of bird conservation, as the agency serves as the regulatory body for her research specialization.

After signing the settlement agreement with agency directors, Brown will receive backpay, damages, and attorney costs. As part of the deal, she has agreed not to seek future employment at the agency.

The controversy surrounding Brown’s firing is part of a larger trend where individuals in both the public and private sectors have lost their jobs over comments related to Kirk’s assassination on a university campus in Utah. Lawsuits are ongoing in many of these cases.

Charlie Kirk, known for founding Turning Point USA and mobilizing conservative youth voters to support President Donald Trump, had a significant following on social media. Following his untimely death, his supporters actively searched social media for posts they deemed insensitive or celebratory of his passing. Influencers like Laura Loomer and accounts like Libs of TikTok played a role in identifying and publicizing individuals who made such posts.

In Brown’s case, Libs of TikTok posted about her, leading to her swift termination from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Brown alleges that her firing occurred shortly after her termination was reported to the social media account.

Interestingly, in a separate incident in Tennessee, a retired police officer faced jail time and legal action over a Facebook post joking about Kirk’s assassination. The state ultimately settled the lawsuit with the officer for $835,000.

Prior to her dismissal, Brown had worked for the Florida agency for seven years, focusing on research related to shorebirds and seabirds in the panhandle region. The ACLU of Florida, represented by attorney Carrie McNamara, praised Brown’s settlement as a victory for free speech rights, emphasizing that individuals do not forfeit their First Amendment rights when accepting government employment.

The case also revealed discrepancies in the number of complaints Brown’s post generated, with the agency initially claiming hundreds of complaints, but later admitting to receiving only around 50. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker sanctioned Brown’s former supervisor, Melissa Tucker, for misrepresenting the facts and failing to correct the record.

Overall, Brown’s case highlights the complexities of navigating free speech rights in the workplace and the potential consequences of expressing controversial views on social media.