Clemson fires 2 faculty members after Charlie Kirk posts, political backlash
Clemson University announced Tuesday it had fired two faculty members for social media posts made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination appearing to mock and celebrate the conservative activist’s death.
The firings come after the Board of Trustees met in executive session for three hours to receive legal advice about personnel matters.
Clemson on Monday also fired another employee for Kirk posts.
“When individuals fall short of these expectations, especially in ways that compromise the safety of our campus community and undermine the learning environment, decisive action is not only warranted, but necessary to uphold the university’s missions and values,” Board Chairwoman Kim Wilkerson said in a prepared statement at the board meeting. “Accordingly, the board supports President (Jim) Clements in his efforts to take immediate and appropriate measures regarding the employees in question.”
The school did not identify the faculty members, but the Clemson College Republicans has shared posts made by two assistant professors. The terminations came after “a thorough investigation of inappropriate social media content in response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” the school said in a statement.
The college Republicans’ efforts then were amplified by members of the state legislature, including the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus.
But the Freedom Caucus wasn’t alone. Candidates for governor, other state lawmakers, Republicans on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and President Donald Trump all saying the school should lose funding if the school didn’t take action to remove the employees.
Then the leadership in the state legislature also called on the school to take action, but didn’t explicitly say state funding would be in danger.
“We fully acknowledge the concerns raised regarding the timing of recent personnel decisions. Every deliberation reflects the University’s unwavering commitment to conduct all actions in full compliance with institutional policies, state and federal laws, and the foundational principles of due process,” the school said in a statement.
The Clemson chapter of Turning Point USA, Kirk’s organization, said it was pleased with Clemson’s decision.
“While we are disappointed in how long this process has taken, today’s announcement represents the only appropriate course of action,” the organization said in a news release. “Clemson has made it clear that there is no place for the endorsement of violence on campus.”
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM.
