An untenured assistant professor, Tamar Shirinian, is suing the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for suspending her over disgusting social media comments she made criticizing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, and his wife, after he was assassinated. Shirinian is a professor of queer anthropology. 

In addition to calling for firing her, many Tennessee legislators have asked why that is considered an appropriate subject matter at a state university. Some have even called for closing the department of anthropology itself and for firing those involved in hiring her.

The complaint filed Oct. 29 in federal court names the university, Chancellor Donde Plowman,UT System President Randy Boyd and Faculty Senate president Charles Noble, saying they were under national political pressure to fire her and tried to protect the university against backlash from donors instead of backing her free speech rights under the First Amendment.
Shirinian says in the suit her comments were private political speech and she is asking to be allowed back in the classroom and for the university to drop the termination proceeding it launched against her.

“Dr. Shirinian’s social media comment was made on her personal time, on her personal device, using her personal account, without any reference to UTK and in her private capacity as a citizen,” the lawsuit says.
“Dr. Shirinian’s professional goal was to become a professor at a major research institution,” the complaint says. “She was extremely proud to become a professor at UTK, a university where her husband also works, and loves teaching college students.” The complaint does not detail what her husband‘s role is at the University of Tennessee.

The suit mentions U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett and his relationship to Kirk, referencing a Sept. 13 video of Burchett saying professors and university employees who made “classless, almost demonic attacks” about Kirk need to be fired. The university took quick action to remove her from classrooms after her social media post came to light. 

Steve Gill is Editor and Publisher of TriStar Daily.