$2 million and counting paid out in Charlie Kirk settlements

At least $2 million in settlements were agreed to after employees and other critics were fired or penalized over their posts about Charlie Kirk following his killing. Why it matters: The settlements illustrate the limits employers can have in regulating their workers' political rhetoric. Kirk's death became a catalyst for a free speech debate after an estimated 600 individuals were fired or punished for criticizing the conservative political activist or downplaying his death — repercussions that were backed by the Trump administration. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is aware of 14 First Amendment lawsuits in federal court brought by workers terminated for their comments about Kirk, not including those brought by workers terminated in the private sector or filed in state court. Case in point: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission settled a lawsuit with biologist Brittney Brown for $485,000 after she was fired for reposting a meme criticizing Kirk on her personal Instagram account. "All I wanted was my job back," Brown said in a statement, slamming the state agency for acting as Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) "personal puppet show." Zoom out: Ball State University agreed to pay $225,000 to settle a First Amendment lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union brought on behalf of Suzanne Swierc, who the ACLU said was fired after posting about Kirk. "Although her Facebook settings were private, a screenshot of the post was taken and circulated publicly, including through Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's 'Eyes on Education' Portal and other public-facing social media accounts," per an ACLU statement . Austin Peay State University in Tennessee agreed to reinstate and pay professor Darren Michael $500,000 after his firing, the university confirmed to Axios. Last September, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) highlighted a post Michael shared of a Newsweek article with the headline "Charlie Kir...

Original source: Axios