More than 600 people across the United States were fired, suspended, or otherwise disciplined after posting about the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk in September 2025, according to a Reuters investigation. Many are now pursuing legal action, claiming their right to free speech was violated.
Among those affected is Julie Strebe, a 55-year-old sheriff's deputy from Salem, Missouri. After Kirk was killed by a sniper on a college campus, Strebe posted on her personal Facebook page: 'Empathy is not owed to oppressors.' She later called Kirk a racist, sexist, and antisemite. Following a campaign by Kirk supporters demanding her termination, Strebe was suspended and eventually fired. She says her superiors cited the posts as being made while on duty and lacking a disclaimer that they were personal opinions.
A website named 'Charlie Kirk’s Murderers' collated names and personal information of those deemed insufficiently reverential, aiding complaints to employers. The site has since been taken down. Strebe and her husband faced harassment, including a truck parked outside their home with a sign reading 'Julie Strebe Supports the Assassination of Charles Kirk.' She is now moving out of the town where she lived for 20 years, unable to retire with a full pension as planned.
Strebe told the Guardian: 'Basically they screwed me because of the mob mentality. This is everything I’ve ever done in my adult life. And they took it from me.' The Dent County Sheriff's Office declined to comment, citing legal restrictions. The cases have sparked debate over free speech and employer retaliation in the wake of a high-profile assassination.
