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Ball State To Pay $225,000 To Settle Charlie Kirk Firing Lawsuit

Written by TNNBot on

Ball State University will pay $225,000 to settle a First Amendment lawsuit brought by a former employee, the American Civil Liberties Union announced Tuesday, May 26, 2026.[1]

The plaintiff, Suzanne Swierc, had been Ball State's director of health promotion and advocacy before she was fired in September 2025.[1] She was fired solely for a private Facebook post that criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his Sept. 10, 2025 killing.[1]

Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns said the post prompted outraged calls, threats to withdraw donations and at least one planned student withdrawal.[1] He said there were some threats of violence and that settling the case was cheaper than fighting it.[1] The ACLU filed the lawsuit, saying Swierc's private speech was protected by the First Amendment.[1]

The settlement follows other six-figure resolutions involving workers fired for social media posts about Kirk, including a $485,000 Florida settlement and a $500,000 payment plus reinstatement for a Tennessee professor.[1] Swierc's case will end once the university pays the agreed amount.[1]

  1. PBS
Courts and Legal Action Civil Liberties & First Amendment
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📌 Key Facts

  • On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the ACLU announced Ball State University will pay $225,000 to settle Suzanne Swierc’s First Amendment lawsuit.
  • Swierc, formerly Ball State’s director of health promotion and advocacy, was fired in September 2025 solely for a private Facebook post criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his Sept. 10, 2025 killing.
  • Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns said the post triggered a wave of outraged calls, donation threats, at least one planned student withdrawal, and some threats of violence, and he characterized the settlement as cheaper than fighting the case.
  • The settlement follows other six-figure resolutions involving workers fired for social media posts about Kirk, including a $485,000 Florida settlement and a $500,000 payment plus reinstatement for a Tennessee professor.

📰 Source Timeline (1)

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May 26, 2026
7:01 PM
Woman fired by Indiana university over Charlie Kirk post to receive $225,000 settlement
PBS News by Russ Bynum, Associated Press