Auburn University Fires Employees Over Social Media Posts

On Wednesday, Auburn University announced that it had terminated multiple employees due to a controversial social media post. The specifics of that post remain unclear, but it appears to be connected to recent events involving comments on the assassination of media personality Charlie Kirk.

Auburn President Christopher Roberts stated that several employees engaged in social media behavior that contradicted the university’s values of respect, integrity, and responsibility, thus violating the institution’s code of conduct. He emphasized that the university firmly rejects such conduct.

Details about the individuals affected by these firings or the content deemed “harmful and insensitive” have not been disclosed yet.

Shortly after the announcement, Alabama Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt issued statements in support of the university’s action. Neither post addressed concerns regarding the initial report, but Tuberville’s comment was notably linked to the circumstances surrounding Kirk’s death.

Tuberville has also criticized what he sees as an increasing trend of “violence against rights,” citing a previous incident where journalism professor AJ Bauer was fired shortly after Kirk’s death.

The senator’s communication director, Mallory Jaspers, noted that professors have a moral obligation to guide students in developing their own critical thinking skills. While the Constitution protects free speech, it doesn’t shield individuals from facing consequences for what they say, she asserted.

When asked about whether a hypothetical situation involving a professor fired for conservative speech raised First Amendment issues, Tuberville suggested that the same standards should apply to all cases.

Britt’s office has not yet provided a comment on the matter. However, in a recent Fox News interview, she expressed disapproval of celebrating what she termed the “political assassination” of someone exercising their right to free speech.

On September 15, the American Association of University Professors released a statement reminding university leaders of their essential duty to protect academic freedom. While condemning Kirk’s murder, they criticized the recent surge in administrative actions targeting faculty for their speech.

The organization warned against quickly reacting in ways that might threaten the integrity of higher education and its role in supporting democratic values.

Issues surrounding free speech have been emphasized by advocacy groups, which argue that public universities, as government entities, are obligated to uphold constitutional rights.

In a letter to the president of Clemson University, Charlotte Arneson, a program counsel for the Fire’s Campus Rights Advocacy Project, outlined the importance of safeguarding protected expressions, asserting that penalizing them undermines institutional obligations.

In a landmark 1968 Supreme Court case, **Pickering v. Board of Education**, it was determined that public employees, including teachers, retain the right to speak on matters of public concern. The case revolved around a high school teacher who criticized the local school board’s financial decisions and faced dismissal as a result.

The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the teacher, asserting that unless proven otherwise, a teacher’s speech on important public issues should not lead to their termination from a public job.