Suzanne Swierc, a former Ball State University health promotion and advocacy director, was fired after posting on Facebook criticizing far-right commentator Charlie Kirk following his death. Ball State said her private post caused significant campus disruption and was the sole reason for termination. A federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU alleged the firing violated her constitutional free speech rights. The claim stated she spoke as a private citizen on a matter of public concern, and the First Amendment bars government retaliation in that situation. The settlement provides $225,000 to Swierc. Ball State president Geoffrey Mearns defended the decision, citing threats to enrollment and fundraising, and said the settlement payment was modest compared with litigation costs.
"Swierc worked as director of health promotion and advocacy at Ball State's campus in Muncie, Indiana, before she was fired last September. Ball State cited Swierc's private Facebook post about Kirk as the sole reason for her termination, saying it caused significant disruption to the campus. Swierc's firing violated her constitutional rights because she was speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern, said Stevie Pactor, an ACLU attorney in Indiana."
"The First Amendment does not allow government institutions to retaliate in those circumstances, and this settlement reflects that, Pactor said in a statement. The American Civil Liberties Union announced the settlement in a federal lawsuit it filed last year on behalf of Suzanne Swierc against Ball State University president Geoffrey Mearns. The settlement will provide $225,000 to settle the lawsuit accusing the former employer of violating her free speech rights."
"Mearns defended firing Swierc in a statement sent Tuesday to campus leaders, which a Ball State spokesperson shared with the Associated Press. Mearns said backlash over Swierc's post threatened to harm the school's student enrolment and fundraising. He said the settlement's modest monetary payment to Swierc was substantially less than fighting her lawsuit would have cost."
"Kirk, founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, was killed by a gunman on 10 September 2025 on the campus of a Utah university. Before his death, Kirk was credited with galvanizing the conservative youth vote to help Donald Trump win a second term. Others fired for Kirk posts have won six-figure settlements Swierc was among a wave of workers who lost their jobs in both the public and private sector after posting social media comments and memes about Kirk's assassination."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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