Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk's Death Sparks Wave of Firing and Discipline Across

In September 2025, Gerald Bourguet was living what he considered his dream life: he and his wife had purchased a home featuring a pool and had recently welcomed a baby. That stability vanished after he authored a series of online posts critical of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, just hours after Kirk was fatally shot on September 10 while addressing an audience at Utah Valley University.

In his posts, Bourguet characterized Kirk as an "evil man," suggesting the activist had dedicated his life to promoting hateful causes. Furthermore, he criticized Kirk's supporters for what he perceived as a silence regarding school shootings.

"I had seen the way that people were talking about this person - kind of eulogising him and lionising him and it bothered me based on a lot of the things that he had said," Bourguet explained to the BBC. Kirk, who founded the Christian youth organization Turning Point USA, remained a highly divisive figure; while many on the right found him charismatic and effective at engaging young people, opponents viewed his rhetoric on race, immigration, gender identity, and gun control as deeply offensive.

The fallout was immediate: screenshots of Bourguet’s posts went viral, he was fired from his position covering professional basketball at PHNX Sports, and his home address was exposed online. Following a barrage of threatening text messages, Bourguet and his family fled their state with their four-month-old child. They eventually returned only to sell their property and relocate permanently.

Now 35, Bourguet reflects on the loss of his career, noting, "I am having to start over in a lot of respects… I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy." While PHNX Sports did not respond to requests for comment, Bourguet remains unemployed in his field and has even considered leaving the country entirely as he struggles to rebuild his life through a new, modest podcast venture. Despite the profound personal and professional toll, he maintains that he does not regret the content of his message, even as he mourns the impact the situation has had on his family and career trajectory.

Bourguets Experience Not Unique Hundreds

Bourguet’s experience was not unique, as hundreds of individuals faced disciplinary action or termination for similar expressions of dissent following the assassination. The response to these comments sparked a fierce national debate, with figures like right-wing commentator Laura Loomer, who boasts nearly 2 million followers on X, warning critics to "prepare to have your whole future professional aspirations ruined." The pressure to sanction those speaking out moved quickly from social media into the halls of power.

Read More: Denise Cosco, Witness Who Stood Against Mafia Father, Dies at 35

Vice-President JD Vance explicitly encouraged such consequences, stating, "When you see someone celebrating Charlie's murder, call them out. And hell, call their employer." Representing the administration's stance, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the BBC that any endorsement of "political violence or assassination culture" must be condemned in the most severe terms.

These directives ignited accusations of hypocrisy from the left, with critics pointing out that many conservative leaders had historically decried "cancel culture"—the social and professional ostracization of those holding unpopular views. Jordan Pace, a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, defended the intervention against those who spoke out about Kirk.

"Cancel culture can be good, it's bad when it's applied in the wrong ways," Pace told the BBC. "If you are someone who celebrates political assassinations and the murder of an innocent man with two young children in a way that many people did, then yeah, that's an appropriate way for society to function, to shame those people." Pace had previously advocated for the defunding of universities in his state that failed to act against employees who posted comments regarding Kirk.

The resulting purge saw teachers, corporate employees, and public workers stripped of their jobs for varying degrees of commentary, ranging from direct celebrations of the killing to sharing old articles about Kirk’s political stances on gun control.

The punitive wave led to a flurry of legal activity, with dozens of lawsuits filed across the United States. The outcomes for those fired varied wildly, highlighting the precarity of the American workforce, where most private-sector employees serve under "at-will" contracts that allow for termination without cause.

Anthropology professor Tamar Shirinian was fired from her post in Tennessee after writing on Facebook that "the world is better off" without Kirk, while a Delta Air Lines flight attendant lost their job for posting "good riddance." Office Depot similarly terminated an employee who refused to serve a customer requesting flyers for a Kirk vigil. Other cases involved indirect criticism: Darren Michael, a theatre professor in Tennessee, was fired for sharing a 2023 news article detailing Kirk’s views on gun violence, and Florida wildlife biologist Brittney Brown was let go after reposting a meme that satirized Kirk’s position on gun rights.

"I was absolutely gutted," Brown told the BBC. "It was like the entire world just completely flipped on its head in a moment." However, some legal challenges have yielded significant results. Brown reached a $485,000 settlement, and Darren Michael was reinstated.

Another university settlement reached $9 million, while an arbitrator ordered The Washington Post to rehire and provide back pay to opinion journalist Karen Attiah, who was fired for refusing to engage in "performative mourning." Despite these financial victories, many plaintiffs express a lack of closure. "All I wanted was my job back," Brown stated.

Also Read: Philippines Ferry Fire Death Toll Hits 35; Recovery Efforts Ongoing

"How much taxpayer money did they waste on this when I barely made $40,000 a year? So no, it does not feel like justice." Shirinian echoed this sentiment, noting that while she accepted a settlement to avoid a lengthy court battle, she regrets losing the opportunity for a public legal vindication.

Regardless of the legal outcomes, the individuals involved remain divided on their long-term feelings; while some offered apologies for the tone of their outbursts, most insisted that their underlying refusal to mourn a figure they viewed as hateful was a matter of conscience, and they remain firm in their right to voice such sentiments despite the professional ruin that followed.