Judge Ruling Keeps UT Professor Of Queer Anthropology Out of the Classroom

A federal judge in Knoxville has denied UT Professor of Queer Anthropology Tamar Shirinian’s request to return to the classroom as her lawsuit plays out against the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The UT Chancellor Donde Plowman suspended the assistant professor in September over a crass and vile comment she made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

Judge Katherine Crytzer on Dec. 18 denied Shirinian’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have halted the termination proceedings against her and allowed her to return to teaching at UT.

Crytzer ruled the comment Shirinian posted about Kirk − in part, that the “world is better off without him in it” − is not protected. Shirinian’s words were political in context but not in content, the judge ruled, and they do not outweigh UT’s interests as an employer.

The reaction to Shirinian’s comment, which she made Sept. 12 on a friend’s private Facebook account, created what UT System President Randy Boyd called a “firestorm” after social media provocateur Robby Starbuck shared a screenshot of the comment Sept. 14 and urged his more than 800,000 followers to pressure UT System leaders to fire the professor. 

Chancellor Donde Plowman placed Shirinian on paid administrative leave the following day and began the firing process. 

Shirinian, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology, and her attorney, Robb Bigelow, have filed a response to the judge and asked her to reconsider the decision. The two are continuing to pursue their lawsuit against the university, which they assert violated Shirinian’s rights to free speech under the First Amendment.

Some Tennessee legislators have speculated that it may be time to completely eliminate the anthropology department at Tennessee based upon the hiring of Shirinian in the first place. “Tennessee, taxpayer dollars have no business funding the study of queer anthropology,” one legislator has told TriStar Daily. “This whole sordid episode demonstrates how radically woke and disconnected with the values of our citizens that the University of Tennessee has become. It deserves a complete and thorough examination by the legislature in the months ahead and some straight answers from the Administration.”

Shirinian’s husband reportedly works at UT as well, although his name and details about his role have not been revealed.

Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.