Austin Peay State University in Tennessee has reversed its decision to fire a professor who was critical of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist. The professor, Darren Michael, was reinstated with a settlement payment of $500,000 after the university acknowledged it had not followed the proper procedures for terminating his employment.
The controversy began when Marsha Blackburn, a Republican senator from Tennessee and a gubernatorial candidate, posted a screenshot of one of Michael's social media posts, which criticized Kirk's stance on gun control. The post was from 2023, long before Kirk's fatal shooting last September. Blackburn shared the post with her followers, including the university, sparking a backlash against Michael.
Michael, a theater and dance professor, was subsequently moved to a suspension status and eventually fired. However, an investigation by the university found that it had not followed its own policies for terminating faculty members. As part of a settlement agreement, the university has reinstated Michael as a tenured faculty member, effective December 30.
The governor, attorney general, and comptroller of Tennessee signed off on the settlement, which also includes reimbursement for counseling services. In an email to the university community, President Mike Licari acknowledged that the university had made a mistake in firing Michael and apologized for the impact it had on him and the campus community.
Michael's lawyer, David L King, described the ordeal as "harmful" to his client and his daughter. The case has raised concerns about the pressure applied by outside forces to silence critics and the importance of protecting academic freedom.
The reinstatement of Michael comes after a wave of high-profile firings of academics who have spoken out on conservative issues. However, it also marks a turning point for Austin Peay State University, which has acknowledged its mistake and taken steps to ensure that due process is followed in all future actions.
The controversy began when Marsha Blackburn, a Republican senator from Tennessee and a gubernatorial candidate, posted a screenshot of one of Michael's social media posts, which criticized Kirk's stance on gun control. The post was from 2023, long before Kirk's fatal shooting last September. Blackburn shared the post with her followers, including the university, sparking a backlash against Michael.
Michael, a theater and dance professor, was subsequently moved to a suspension status and eventually fired. However, an investigation by the university found that it had not followed its own policies for terminating faculty members. As part of a settlement agreement, the university has reinstated Michael as a tenured faculty member, effective December 30.
The governor, attorney general, and comptroller of Tennessee signed off on the settlement, which also includes reimbursement for counseling services. In an email to the university community, President Mike Licari acknowledged that the university had made a mistake in firing Michael and apologized for the impact it had on him and the campus community.
Michael's lawyer, David L King, described the ordeal as "harmful" to his client and his daughter. The case has raised concerns about the pressure applied by outside forces to silence critics and the importance of protecting academic freedom.
The reinstatement of Michael comes after a wave of high-profile firings of academics who have spoken out on conservative issues. However, it also marks a turning point for Austin Peay State University, which has acknowledged its mistake and taken steps to ensure that due process is followed in all future actions.
! they reversed the decision to fire prof Darren Michael because the university messed up & didn't follow their own policies 
, like literally who does that?! and now prof michael is getting a $500k settlement & rehired with all the perks 
. Marsha Blackburn's involvement was super shady tho - posting an old tweet from 2023 to try & ruin prof michael's rep is just low 
. I'm so glad prof michael has his job back & that the university acknowledged their mistake 
. it's crazy how this case highlights the importance of protecting academic freedom 
, especially when outside forces try to silence critics like prof michael did. anyway, i think this is a major win for free speech & due process 
He stood up for what he believed in even when the whole school was against him. That's what being a true educator is all about! 
And can you believe how much courage it took for him to speak out? $500k might be a lot, but I think it's worth it for his integrity and freedom of speech 
. This settlement is not just a win for Darren, but for all the professors who feel silenced or pressured by outside forces 
. Kudos to President Licari for owning up to the mistake and apologizing too 
. The fact that they signed off on this settlement with the governor and others shows how serious they are about protecting academic freedom 
. I MEAN, WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS TRYING TO SHAKE DOWN SOMEONE FOR THEIR OPINIONS? IT'S FASCINATING THAT THE UNIVERSITY EVENTUALLY ADMITTED THEY MADE A MISTAKE AND REINSTATED HIM WITH A Settlement PAYMENT OF $500,000 
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What even is the point of having a senator who thinks she can bully people like that? And now AP State U has to pay him $500k to make it right... 
This whole thing just feels like a total mess. At least the university has taken responsibility for their mistake and is trying to do better in the future, I guess? 
. It's like, how can we expect our universities to maintain academic freedom when they're so easily intimidated by outside forces? 
. As a senator and gubernatorial candidate, shouldn't she be promoting free speech and academic freedom? It just goes to show that we need to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions 
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. i guess this is a step in the right direction, but we'll have to wait and see if AP State University can actually follow through on its promises 