Tennessee university to pay professor $1.9M after calling Charlie Kirk a 'disgusting psychopath'
Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk stands in the Oval Office of the White House on May 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
A University of Tennessee professor will receive $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the school of violating her constitutional rights after officials sought to discipline her over social media posts criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Knox News reported Monday that the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees approved a $1.9 million settlement for former professor Tamar Shirinian after she called Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 during his "American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University, a "disgusting psychopath."
Shirinian was put on administrative leave following a social media post where she had said in part, "The world is better off without him in it," and added, "His kids are better off living in a world without a disgusting psychopath like him and his wife, well, she’s a sick f--- for marrying him so I dont [sic] care about her feelings."
She later apologized and said it was "insensitive" and "uncharacteristic of me as a person."
Shirinian was fired on Feb. 11. She will not be reinstated, Knox News reported.
In the February letter to Shirinian informing her that she had been fired, UT Chancellor Donde Plowman wrote, "Your words celebrated a gruesome murder, which horrifically took place on a college campus similar to our own, and then went on to callously demean the grief and loss felt by the widow and young children of the victim while also mocking any grief felt by others who sympathized with the surviving family."
Charlie Kirk throws a "Make America Great Again" hat to the crowd at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking during his "American Comeback Tour" when he was shot in the neck and killed
"My client is pleased that the parties reached a resolution," Robb Bigelow, Shirinian's attorney, said in an email to Knox News. "Litigation is always difficult, and we're grateful to everyone on both sides who worked diligently to bring this matter to a close.
"We believe the resolution reflects the seriousness of the issues while allowing everyone to move forward," Bigelow said. "We wish the University nothing but success in the future."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the University of Tennessee System said, "We do not have a comment outside of what was publicly said in the board meeting yesterday. A link to that meeting can be found here."
Fox News Digital reached out to Bigelow for comment and attempted to reach Shirinian.
LINK: Get updates and more at foxnews.com.
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