Panthers staffer, educators face discipline over social media posts about Charlie Kirk’s death
Kate Murphy, Reporter
Thu, September 11, 2025 at 11:06 PM GMT+2
2 min read
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Law enforcement tapes off an area after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot at Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
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In the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday, several people — including employees in education and professional sports — are facing consequences at work over their social media posts responding to his death.
From Iowa to the United Kingdom, a number of institutions have confirmed taking disciplinary action ranging from termination to administrative leave and ongoing investigations into posts that were seen as inappropriate or unprofessional in the wake of Kirk’s killing.
In North Carolina, a communications staffer for the Carolina Panthers was fired over comments made on social media that appeared to question public expressions of sympathy for Kirk. The staffer, Charlie Rock, also shared the Wu-Tang Clan song “Protect Ya Neck,” which some interpreted as a reference to the fatal shot, which struck Kirk in the neck.
The Panthers released a statement saying, “The views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers. We do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual.”
Meanwhile, in the U.K., Fiona Wild, a councilor in East Lancashire, resigned after posting on social media about Kirk’s death: “I don't condone violence, but I do think he made himself a target and brought this on himself, so good riddance to not a very nice man!”
Burnley Council, where Wild had represented Lanehead ward as an independent, confirmed her resignation and said it was investigating complaints.
In the media industry, MSNBC parted ways with contributor and political analyst Matthew Dowd following remarks he made on air suggesting Kirk’s rhetoric had contributed to the violence. “You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and then not expect awful actions to take place,” Dowd said during an appearance on "Katy Tur Reports.” Both Dowd and the network later issued apologies.
Below is a list of disciplinary actions that have been taken by a range of institutions in response to posts deemed inappropriate:
Fired:
- Arizona: A Suns writer at PHNX Sports
- Mississippi: A staff member at the University of Mississippi
- Oklahoma: An employee at Heritage Hall, a private prep school in Oklahoma City
- Tennessee: An assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University
- South Carolina: A teacher at Southside High School in Greenville County
- Iowa: A teacher in the Creston Community School District
- Florida: A teacher at Ridgeview Elementary School
- Oklahoma: A Sand Springs middle school teacher
