Ball State University has fired an employee after online comments she made about the Charlie Kirk shooting were highlighted by the state’s attorney general.
Suzanne Swierc was Director of Health Promotion and Advocacy at Ball State. A post on her personal Facebook page, with privacy restrictions, was shared online by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita as an example of, as he put it, “so many hateful people … exposing themselves.”
Swierc wrote that Kirk’s death “is a tragedy,” but she continued that his death “is a reflection of the violence, fear, and hatred he sowed.”
On Wednesday, a statement from Ball State University announced Swierc’s firing. It said her post “caused significant disruption to the University” and was inconsistent with her leadership position. Ball State’s statement cited a federal appeals court case that it says backs up her firing.
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Indiana is also a so-called “employment at-will” work state. The Indiana Department of Labor says employees not part of a collective bargaining agreement can be fired for no stated reason.
Ball State also says it is still investigating a post by a second employee.
Stephanie Wiechmann is Indiana Public Radio's Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host. Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.