APSU Pays Fired Professor $500K After Charlie Kirk Post Controversy
Austin Peay State University will pay former professor Darren Michael $500,000 after initially terminating him for a social media post made in response to the death of Charlie Kirk. Michael, an associate professor, was previously suspended and then reinstated after the university acknowledged they did not follow proper termination procedures. The settlement agreement also includes reimbursement for Michael’s therapeutic counseling services and a statement from APSU acknowledging regret for the procedural error. The incident gained attention after Senator Marsha Blackburn shared Michael’s post on social media, prompting scrutiny of the university’s actions.
John Q. Hosedrinker