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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Richard Luscombe

‘Inappropriate’ comments about Charlie Kirk shooting lead to university firings

people stand with their heads bowed around a sign with a picture of a man that reads 'Charles James Kirk 1993-2025'
Members of the New York Young Republicans Club hold a vigil for Charlie Kirk in New York on 12 September 2025. Photograph: Kena Betancur/AP

The backlash to “inappropriate” public comments made in the days following Charlie Kirk’s death has sparked a new wave of firings and suspensions, with a number of university employees disciplined for sharing their views.

It comes as some free speech advocates accuse Republicans of “intimidation tactics” and creating a “culture of fear” over the clampdown and using the response to the tragedy to stoke turmoil and inflame anger directed at their political opponents.

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