A University of Tennessee professor is suing to keep her job after a controversial social media comment about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Tamar Shirinian, faces termination for "gross misconduct," but said on Inside Politics she is fighting for everybody's First Amendment rights.
Shirinian has been at UT for five years, but this fall, shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, she responded to a friend on Facebook and commented, "The world is better off without him in it." She went on to call him a "disgusting psychopath" and said she didn't care about his wife's feelings.
"If I had known that was going to be taken out of its private context and made very, very public, absolutely, I would not have made it," Shirinian said.
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Shirinian professor said she made the comment to a friend, at night, on her personal time.
It was picked up by Conservative media and suddenly Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and others were calling for her job.
"She was calling for my termination, promising in her newsletter that she would do everything she could to make sure that I am terminated and I do not return to education in the state of Tennessee," Shirinian said.
Shirinian and her Nashville attorney Robb Bigelow admitted on Inside Politics the Facebook comment was "not kind," but argued she had the right to express it outside the classroom. Her attorney said a public university cannot fire her.
"This is a First Amendment case," Bigelow said.
Inside Politics clarified, "You're saying she has the right to say these things in her private time on her private Facebook account?"
Bigelow responded, "That's correct. The First Amendment guarantees citizens that right."
He added that it would different if Shirinian worked for a private company, but public universities cannot regulate speech.
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The University of Tennessee put Shirinian on administrative leave with pay and a plan to fire her for "gross misconduct."
The University said she violated the University's core values and that her "reckless use of incendiary language demonstrates a lack of fitness to engage in teaching."
"My comment was harsh, but it in no way incited violence or celebrated or advocated for violence, which is what the Chancellor and President have said," Shirinian said.
She said UT has not fired other professors for controversial comments in the past, and believes her case is being treated differently.
"As a government employee, the government does not have a right to tell me how I am or am not allowed to express myself in my own private time," Shirinian said.
This story was originally published by Ben Hall with the Scripps News Group in Nashville.
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