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4w ago

Ball State Agrees to $225,000 Settlement Over Employee Fired for Charlie Kirk Facebook Post

The agreement ends a federal First Amendment suit and raises legal pressure on public employers that discipline private social-media speech.

FILE - A student enters Ball State University campus in Muncie, Ind., Sept. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
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General view of a Ball State Unviersity sign seen before the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Scheumann Stadium on November 1, 2016 in Muncie, Indiana. | (Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The settlement, announced Tuesday, pays Suzanne Swierc $225,000 and fully resolves the ACLU-filed federal lawsuit against Ball State University.
  • Swierc was fired after a private Facebook post about Charlie Kirk that she made on Sept. 10, 2025, and university officials met with her on Sept. 15 before terminating her on Sept. 17.
  • A screenshot of Swierc’s private post was shared publicly and submitted to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s 'Eyes on Education' portal, which led to online harassment and threats against her and pressure on the university.
  • Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns defended the dismissal and said the payment was smaller than the cost of continued litigation, and the settlement allows Ball State staff to serve as references and to acknowledge Swierc’s past work.
  • Swierc’s payout joins multiple six-figure settlements this year — including awards in Florida and Tennessee that together top $2 million — creating a pattern that limits how public employers can punish off-duty speech and may spur more legal challenges.