More than 600 people were fired, disciplined, or investigated for social media posts 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 them is Julie Strebe, a 55-year-old former sheriff's deputy from Salem, Missouri. After Kirk was killed by a sniper, Strebe posted on Facebook: 'Empathy is not owed to oppressors.' She called Kirk racist, sexist, and antisemitic. Within days, a website named 'Charlie Kirk's Murderers' published her details, leading to calls for her firing. Strebe was suspended and later terminated, with superiors citing that she posted while on duty and failed to disclaim personal opinion.
Strebe says her 19-year law enforcement career was destroyed by 'mob mentality.' She and her husband faced harassment, including a truck outside their home with a sign reading 'Julie Strebe Supports the Assassination of Charles Kirk.' They have since moved away. Strebe is among those seeking justice through lawsuits against employers and the website operators.
The purge, described as an ideological witch hunt, has sparked debate over free speech and accountability. Many of those punished merely quoted Kirk's own words, including his comments on gun deaths being an acceptable cost for Second Amendment rights. The website that facilitated the complaints has since been taken down.
