In the immediate wake of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination on September 10, 2025, Lebanese-born Tamar Shirinian, an assistant anthropology professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, posted a viral comment declaring, “The world is better off without him in it.” The remark also included derogatory statements about Kirk’s family.
University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman placed Shirinian on administrative leave on September 15, 2025, and terminated her on February 11, 2026. In a letter to Shirinian, Plowman stated that her posts “celebrated violence and murder” and “demeaning the grief and loss felt by the widow and young children of the victim.”
Shirinian responded with a six-page letter claiming she made the post after being emotionally affected by Kirk’s social media comments. She also alleged the university violated her First Amendment rights by terminating her for expressing political speech in a personal capacity. Shirinian sued the university for $1.9 million, but the case was settled in early 2026.
The settlement provides Shirinian with $1.9 million while she loses her faculty position.
