Austin Peay State University in Tennessee reinstated a professor who was fired over a social media post after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and it will pay the professor $500,000 as part of a settlement, according to the agreement and university statements.
Austin Peay spokesperson Brian Dunn said Darren Michael returned to his position as a tenured faculty member at the public university in Clarksville effective Dec. 30. Dunn’s statement came as the settlement terms were described in connection with a public records request.
The settlement agreement obtained through that public records request includes a $500,000 payment and reimbursement of counseling, the Associated Press reported. The report said the state governor, the attorney general and the comptroller signed a document authorizing the settlement payment.
Michael is a theater and dance professor. The AP report said he had described facing conservative backlash and punishment at work for online posts about Kirk’s fatal shooting in September, after which he was later moved to a suspension status.
In a Dec. 30 email to the university community, Austin Peay President Mike Licari said the school did not follow the required tenure termination process. Licari also wrote that the university “deeply regret[s] and apologize[s] for the impact this has had on Professor Michael and on our campus community,” and he said he is “committed to ensuring that due process and fairness are upheld in all future actions.”
The university’s action followed a period of national attention after Kirk was killed. Two days after the killing, Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee circulated a screenshot indicating Michael posted Sept. 10 a headline from a 2023 news article about gun deaths being “unfortunately” worth it “to keep 2nd Amendment,” according to the AP account.
The AP report said Blackburn, a candidate for governor, included a photograph and biography of Michael, wrote “What do you say, Austin Peay State University?” and tagged Austin Peay’s account. Blackburn’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the settlement, the report said.
Michael’s attorney, David L. King, said Michael “said nothing that was threatening or otherwise offensive.” King also criticized the pressure applied by “outside forces,” and he said the ordeal “caused a great deal of harm” to Michael and his daughter, according to the AP report.