Dr. Darren Michael, an associate professor of acting and directing, returned to his position at the Tennessee public university on December 30. The settlement also includes reimbursement for counseling services.
Michael was initially fired, then suspended, after posting a screenshot of a 2023 news article following the September assassination of Charlie Kirk, co-founder and executive director of Turning Point USA. University President Mike Licari said at the time that Michael had "reshared a post on social media that was insensitive, disrespectful and interpreted by many as propagating justification for unlawful death."
The case drew attention from Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, who shared screenshots of Michael's post along with his contact information, asking the university to respond.
Michael's case is among dozens nationwide where educators faced disciplinary action over social media comments related to Kirk's death. The Texas American Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit arguing that the Texas Education Agency "unleashed a wave of retaliation and disciplinary actions against teachers" by encouraging school districts to report posts deemed inappropriate. Similar cases have emerged in Maine and other states.
First Amendment advocates have cited the settlement as evidence that firing tenured faculty over protected speech carries significant legal and financial consequences for public institutions.
APSU, located in Clarksville, enrolls approximately 11,000 students.
