Law professor Felicia Branch was suspended by the University of Arkansas Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law over comments she made on Facebook concerning the death of far-right activist Charlie Kirk. Her comments, which called particular attention to the methods of Kirk and his own take on gun violence, sparked a firestorm in the state.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the now-deleted post (available below) “vile.” Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge said, “While faculty members have the right to express opinions, openly celebrating the assassination of a fellow American crosses a line.”
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin called for Branch, who leads a clinic at the law school to assist low-income individuals, to be fired, “The First Amendment protects your right to say what you want. It does not, however, guarantee you the job you want, regardless of what you say. The law school should terminate her immediately.”
University of Arkansas Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale wrote of Branch’s comments, “As educators we should hold ourselves to a higher standard of conduct that values civil discourse, speaks clearly about the dangers of political violence, and that prioritizes a rigorous, fair-minded learning environment. The postings I read this morning do not reflect this standard.”
Branch has been suspended with pay while the university conducts its investigation.
While Reuters reports Branch is the first in legal academia to get swept up in the witch hunt, educators have been targeted in other disciplines. According to the PayDay Report, hundreds of teachers, staff, and professors have been suspended — particularly in red states where state agencies are actively investigating the education community en masse. And in Florida, they’re taking it a step further than just social media posts. Education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas is asking folks to rat out private conversations that express disfavored viewpoints.
“What we’re seeing right now is certainly what feels to me to be McCarthy-like,” Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar said. “Where people are being encouraged by the commissioner and by others to essentially hunt for, teachers or staff or professors who are saying something that someone has a problem with, however small it may be, and to essentially expose that, to dox teachers, to threaten teachers and staff and professors.”
Biglaw firm Perkins Coie also fired an attorney for comments about the death of Kirk they found objectionable.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
The post Law Professor Suspended Over Charlie Kirk Post appeared first on Above the Law.
Law professor Felicia Branch was suspended by the University of Arkansas Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law over comments she made on Facebook concerning the death of far-right activist Charlie Kirk. Her comments, which called particular attention to the methods of Kirk and his own take on gun violence, sparked a firestorm in the state.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the now-deleted post (available below) “vile.” Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge said, “While faculty members have the right to express opinions, openly celebrating the assassination of a fellow American crosses a line.”
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin called for Branch, who leads a clinic at the law school to assist low-income individuals, to be fired, “The First Amendment protects your right to say what you want. It does not, however, guarantee you the job you want, regardless of what you say. The law school should terminate her immediately.”
University of Arkansas Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale wrote of Branch’s comments, “As educators we should hold ourselves to a higher standard of conduct that values civil discourse, speaks clearly about the dangers of political violence, and that prioritizes a rigorous, fair-minded learning environment. The postings I read this morning do not reflect this standard.”
Branch has been suspended with pay while the university conducts its investigation.
While Reuters reports Branch is the first in legal academia to get swept up in the witch hunt, educators have been targeted in other disciplines. According to the PayDay Report, hundreds of teachers, staff, and professors have been suspended — particularly in red states where state agencies are actively investigating the education community en masse. And in Florida, they’re taking it a step further than just social media posts. Education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas is asking folks to rat out private conversations that express disfavored viewpoints.
“What we’re seeing right now is certainly what feels to me to be McCarthy-like,” Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar said. “Where people are being encouraged by the commissioner and by others to essentially hunt for, teachers or staff or professors who are saying something that someone has a problem with, however small it may be, and to essentially expose that, to dox teachers, to threaten teachers and staff and professors.”
Biglaw firm Perkins Coie also fired an attorney for comments about the death of Kirk they found objectionable.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
The post Law Professor Suspended Over Charlie Kirk Post appeared first on Above the Law.
