Austin Peay State University (APSU) reinstated a college professor who initially was fired for a social media post he made after conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
On September 10th, the day Kirk was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University, Darren Michael, a theatre professor, shared a screenshot on social media of a Newsweek headline saying, “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth it to Keep 2nd Amendment.”
APSU fired Michael two days after his social media post about Kirk.
Licari said at the time that Michael’s actions did “not align with Austin Peay’s commitment to mutual respect and human dignity. The university deems these actions unacceptable and has terminated the faculty member.”
Clarksville Now said the school told him in his termination letter that his firing was due to the “significant reputational damage” it caused APSU.
Last week, President Mike Licari sent an email to the university’s community, stating Michael has been reinstated as a tenured professor at the school because the school did not follow the proper termination process, Clarksville Now reported.
“APSU did not follow the required tenure termination process in this matter, and I deeply regret and apologize for the impact this has had on Professor Michael and on our campus community,” Licai said, according to the outlet. “I am committed to ensuring that due process and fairness are upheld in all future actions.”
“This has been a difficult period for our campus. I want to acknowledge that and thank you for your continued dedication to the university and our students,” he added. “I am committed to helping our community move forward with integrity, respect, and a renewed focus on our shared mission of serving our students with excellence.”
According to school rules, a tenured professor must go before a hearing committee composed of six appointed tenured faculty members to decide whether the professor will be fired.
The school shifted Michael’s status to suspended almost two weeks after the firing, when it said it had not followed proper due-process procedures.
Besides Michael (pictured above), numerous professors at Tennessee colleges were punished for their comments about Kirk. Cumberland University fired professor Max Wood, and the University of Tennessee suspended assistant professor Tamar Shirinian.
Cumberland University terminated the English professor after he posted on X, “God comes to collect no matter how rich and politically powerful you are. If you live a life of SIN and bask in it, you deserve whatever judgement god deems fit. One less Pedophile supporter on this planet.”
University of Tennessee fired Shirinian, who taught anthropology at the school, after she said the “world is better off” without Kirk.
“Even those who are claiming to be sad for his wife and kids,” wrote the professor, “his kids are better off living in a world without a disgusting psychopath.” She then called Kirk’s widow a “sick f*** for marrying him.”
The school started its termination proceedings against her in September.
Shirinian sued the university in October in an attempt to regain her job.
Last month, Judge Katherine Crytzer denied Shirinian’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have let her go back to teaching.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
Photo “Darren Michael” by Austin Peay State University. Background Photo “Austin Peay State University Campus” by Austin Peay State University.
