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After Charlie Kirk<\/a> was shot and killed<\/a>\u00a0at a Utah speaking event last Wednesday, Laura Sosh-Lightsy \u2014\u00a0an assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) \u00a0\u2014 made a social media post that ultimately cost her her job.<\/p>\n “Looks like ol’ Charlie spoke his fate into existence. Hate begets hate,” her post read, according to\u00a0Local 3 News<\/a>. “ZERO sympathy.”<\/p>\n Her comments quickly drew the attention of Republican Sen.\u00a0Marsha Blackburn, who wrote on X<\/a>\u00a0that Sosh-Lightsy \u201cshould be ashamed\u201d of the post and called for her removal from MTSU.<\/p>\n The university, as it turned out, agreed. Just one day after Blackburn\u2019s response, MTSU terminated Sosh-Lightsy\u2019s employment.<\/p>\n In a statement about the firing, the university said her comments were \u201cinconsistent with our values and have undermined the university\u2019s credibility and reputation with our students.\u201d<\/p>\n Short answer: Yes, in most cases.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Hirsch, a professor of labor and employment law at the University of North Carolina, told CNN<\/a>\u00a0that private companies can typically fire employees for nearly any reason.<\/p>\n Public-sector employees are protected by free speech laws<\/a>, but there are some exceptions:\u00a0: They can still be fired if their comments are \u201cso egregious it disrupts operations.\u201d<\/p>\n In the days since Kirk’s death, several people have reportedly lost their jobs for allegedly celebrating online.<\/p>\n Per\u00a0KKTV 11<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>a high school teacher in South Carolina was fired after posting on Facebook that \u201cAmerica became greater\u201d because of Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Like Sosh-Lightsy, his firing followed public calls for his removal \u2014 this time from U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and William Timmons, who flagged the post on social media.<\/p>\n CNN<\/a> reports that Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and the Carolina Panthers, both private companies, have terminated employees over their posts about Kirk.<\/p>\n Read More<\/em>: Brantley Gilbert Has a Warning For Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Death<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n DC Comics canceled<\/a> the new\u00a0Red Hood<\/em> comic book series after its author, Gretchen Felker-Martin, allegedly wrote “Hope the bullet’s okay”on social media in reaction to Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n On Monday (Sept. 15),\u00a0Fox Business<\/a> reported more instances of companies terminating employees over their responses to\u00a0Kirk’s death.<\/p>\n NASDAQ, the New York-based stock exchange company, said it fired an employee on Friday for comments that violated its policy against speech that \u201ccondones or celebrates violence.\u201d<\/p>\n At a Michigan Office Depot location, an employee was fired after refusing to print posters for a Kirk vigil \u2014 a moment captured in a video that has since gone viral.<\/p>\n Media figures have also lost their jobs over alleged comments about Kirk\u2019s death. Political analyst Matthew Dowd was fired from MSNBC<\/a> for remarks he made live on air while covering the shooting.<\/p>\n Read More<\/em>: Kane Brown Attacked Online After Charlie Kirk Tribute<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n On Monday, Washington Post<\/em> columnist Karen Attiah confirmed she was fired<\/a> after posting a series of comments on Bluesky<\/a> about Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n One of those posts read: \u201cPart of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness, and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.\u201d<\/p>\n In the days following Kirk\u2019s death, an anonymously registered website called \u201cExposing Charlie\u2019s Murderers\u201d appeared.<\/p>\n The site, which described itself as \u201cthe largest firing operation in history,\u201d was dedicated to compiling social media messages celebrating Kirk\u2019s death and exposing the posters\u2019 names to their employers.<\/p>\n According to the website, as of Sunday, \u201cExposing Charlie\u2019s Murderers\u201d had received 30,000 submissions.<\/p>\n CNN<\/a> reports that the website was taken down as of Monday, and a new X account stated<\/a>\u00a0that the organizers are rebranding to the Charlie Kirk Data Foundation.<\/p>\n A new website <\/a>has since emerged, and its About page claims, “This is not a doxxing website.”<\/p>\n It also states that the site\u00a0does not publish identifying data but instead\u00a0“lawfully collect[s] publicly-available data to analyze the prominence of support for political violence in the interest of public education.”<\/p>\n Another social media post from the site stated <\/a>that it “previously accepted donations in cryptocurrency.”<\/p>\n Kirk was fatally shot during a public speaking event on Wednesday (Sept. 10) at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31 years old.<\/p>\n The event was part of Kirk’s American Comeback Tour. Moments before his death, he was engaged in a dialogue with an audience member about mass shootings in America.<\/p>\n Read More<\/em>: Who Are Charlie Kirk’s Wife + Children?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n He is survived by his wife, Erika Franztve Kirk, and two young children.<\/p>\n On Friday, U.S. president Donald Trump announced that a suspect named Tyler Robinson was in custody.<\/p>\n We’re not even six months into 2025, and already country music has suffered some devastating losses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIs It Legal to Fire Someone For Celebrating Charlie Kirk’s Death Online?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Who Has Been Fired For Sharing Celebratory Posts About Charlie Kirk’s Death?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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A New Website Emerged to Expose People’s Online Activity to Their Employers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How Did Charlie Kirk Die?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Country Stars Who Have Died in 2025<\/h2>\n