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Wave of dismissals in the US following Charlie Kirk’s death

Social media posts and videos trigger action against thousands of employees

In the United States, the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on the campus of Utah Valley University, sparked a chain reaction on social media. Thousands of users posted messages and videos celebrating the murder, fuelling controversy and online clashes.

The social media attention quickly turned into coordinated action: conservative profiles and citizens reported videos and users, publishing names and addresses and contacting employers. Republican Senator Laura Loomer and the website Expose Charlie’s Murderers, which collected about 30,000 reports, also took part in the initiative.

Ripple effects in the workplace
The consequences were immediate and far-reaching. Public figures such as writer Stephen King had to publicly apologise for incorrect messages attributed to Kirk, but thousands of ordinary people lost their jobs because of social media posts. Several companies made public the disciplinary measures they had taken, involving employees in both the private and public sectors.

Among the most notable cases, MSNBC fired analyst Matthew Dowd for citing Kirk’s rhetoric as a potential contributing factor to the murder. Clemson University, initially evasive, formalised the suspension of an employee after public pressure. In the NFL, the Carolina Panthers terminated their relationship with a communications staff member, while quarterback Joe Burrow fired a member of his foundation’s board.

In Ohio and California, on the other hand, dismissals and business closures were determined by the virality of the videos, with venues and companies forced to deal with media boomerangs that were difficult to contain.

The risk for public employees
Public workers and teachers are not spared either: although the 1987 Supreme Court ruling protects the freedom of expression of government employees, analysts cited by CNN point out that, in cases of intense social pressure, behaviour that hinders the proper performance of duties can justify dismissal. This phenomenon particularly affects those who work with minors and have posted messages or videos supporting political violence.

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