See Charlie Kirk’s banner hung among historic figures in Washington, D.C.
A banner depicting Charlie Kirk hangs alongside historic leaders outside the Department of Education as part of the America 250 exhibit.
The state of Florida will pay nearly $500,000 in a free speech lawsuit settlement to a biologist who was forced from his job with the state for making critical posts on social media after the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. This is the latest award in response to similar claims for firings across the country in the wake of the killing of a conservative activist.
Brittany Brown, who worked for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, filed the lawsuit after she was fired in September 2025, days after Kirk was killed by gunman accuser Tyler Robinson while speaking at a university in Utah.
Under the settlement agreement signed May 21, Mr. Brown will receive $485,000. This amount includes $235,000 to cover her unemployment and $40,000 in back pay. She also received $210,000 in legal fees and expenses, the USA TODAY Network in Florida reported.
Brown’s claim marks the first lawsuit in Florida involving a state employee facing disciplinary action for his online response to Kirk’s killing. Dozens of people, including teachers, professors, nurses, lawyers and other professionals, have been fired or disciplined for posts they made after the September 10 shooting. This includes employees of public universities and state government employees, and has broader freedom of speech protections.
Since then, many have filed lawsuits to get their jobs back or receive paychecks from their employers.
Florida biologist fired for post about Charlie Kirk and whales
Brown lost her job on September 15, 2025, after she reposted another account’s post on her private Instagram Story.
The post that bothered Brown read, “The whales are deeply saddened to learn of the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Haha, just kidding, the whales care about as much as Charlie Kirk cared about kids being shot in his classroom. In other words, they don’t care at all.”
The post was condemned and widely shared by conservative accounts on social media, including LibsofTiktok, which called for Brown to be fired. At the time, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Brown’s post “downplayed” Kirk’s murder.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy against the incitement of violence and hatred and will not tolerate such behavior,” the agency said in a social media post on Sept. 15.
Brown said she is having trouble finding work because her specialty is bird conservation and the commission is the regulatory body for the field. Part of the settlement includes her agreement not to apply or seek reinstatement with FWC in the future.
A spokeswoman for the agency declined to comment on the settlement. Gary Edinger, an attorney representing Brown, said the lawsuit was the result of Brown’s “refusal to accept that the government decides what opinions employees are allowed to have.”
“These concerning actions highlight the extent to which political pressure from Tallahassee is influencing our state institutions,” Brown said in a statement. “FWC employees deserve better recognition, and so do Floridians.”
Numerous people lost their jobs and faced disciplinary action after Kirk’s post.
A former Tennessee state trooper who was arrested and charged earlier this week over posts about Kirk has reached an $835,000 settlement seeking the dismissal of a civil rights lawsuit against local authorities. Larry Bushart was arrested on Sept. 22 and charged with threats of mass violence after he posted a photo quoting President Donald Trump in the Facebook comments section of a Perry County community group page, the USA TODAY Network’s Nashville Tennessean reported.
His lawyers said he was held on $2 million bail for more than a month, resulting in him losing his job as a medical transporter and missing the birth of his grandson. The charges against him were dropped on Oct. 29 following backlash from the community. His lawsuit accuses Perry County, Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems, and Perry County Sheriff’s Detective Jason Morrow of violating his First and Fourth Amendment rights.
In January, Darren Michael, a theater professor at Austin Peay State University, reached a $500,000 settlement for his firing in September over social media posts about Kirk. Michael had shared an article on his social media accounts titled, “Charlie Kirk says gun death ‘unfortunately’ makes two people worth protecting.”n.d. amendment,” prompting backlash, including criticism from Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Michael returned to work on Dec. 30, The Tennessean reported. Many more professors fired for their Kirk-related comments have been reinstated, had their suspensions lifted, or had investigations concluded in their favor.
Other settlements include an Iowa public defender and a high school English teacher.
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Florida. He can be reached at SMattat@usatodayco.com. About X: @stephanymatat.
Contributor: Chris Quintana, USA TODAY. Angel Latham, Tennessean; des moines register
