Tennessee theater professor reinstated, with $500,000 settlement, after losing his job over a Charlie Kirk-related social media post

Darren Michael has returned to his position as a permanent faculty member at Clarksville Public University effective Dec. 30, said Austin Peay spokesman Brian Dunn. A copy of the settlement agreement obtained through a public records request includes a $500,000 payment and reimbursement for counseling, as WKRN-TV reported earlier this week.

Tennessee’s governor, attorney general, and comptroller signed a document authorizing the settlement to be paid.

Michael, a theater and dance professor, was among the people who reported facing conservative backlash and punishment at work for their online posts about Kirk’s fatal shooting in September. He was later moved to suspended status.

In a Dec. 30 email to the university community, Austin Peay president Mike Licari said the school did not follow a required termination process. Communication was another requirement under the settlement.

Licari added, “I am deeply sorry and apologize for the impact this has had on Professor Michael and on our campus community. I am committed to ensuring that due process and fairness are respected in all future actions.”

Two days after Kirk’s killing, Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee circulated a screenshot indicating that Michael had posted on September 10 the headline of a 2023 news article that read: “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth Preserving Second Amendment.” Blackburn, who is also a gubernatorial candidate, attached a photo of Michael and a bio. “What are you saying, Austin Peay State University?” she wrote, tagging the university.

Blackburn’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement.

David L. King, Michael’s attorney, said the professor said “nothing threatening or offensive.” King denounced pressure from “external forces” and said the ordeal had “caused a great deal of harm” to Michael and his daughter.