Julie Strebe, a 55-year-old sheriff's deputy from Salem, Missouri, was suspended and later dismissed after posting critical comments about the far-right activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination in September 2025. Her posts, written on her personal Facebook page, included the phrase “Empathy is not owed to oppressors” and accusations that Kirk was racist, sexist and antisemitic. She has said she does not regret the remarks, despite losing the job she held for 19 years.
The backlash against Strebe was swift and intense. Her employer received phone calls and messages demanding her termination, with critics labelling her a “wacko” and a “corrupt cop”. Her husband's woodworking business and charitable Grinch project were also targeted, while her son, who is gay, was subjected to homophobic slurs online. Strebe said she believed the reaction amounted to a “mob mentality” that cost her the chance to retire with a full pension in six and a half years.
Strebe is one of many Americans who faced professional consequences for their social media reactions to Kirk's death. A website called “Charlie Kirk's Murderers” collated names and personal information of alleged offenders, aiding complaints to employers. By November 2025, a Reuters investigation estimated that at least 600 people had been terminated, disciplined or otherwise admonished over their posts. Those affected are now suing, claiming their right to free speech was violated.
According to Strebe, her superiors justified her dismissal by saying she had made the posts while on the clock and had not disclaimed that they represented personal views. They also cited a decade-old post about local roadworks, which she said was the only previous example of controversial content they could find. The Dent County sheriff's office declined to comment, citing legal restrictions on disclosing information about former deputies.
Strebe said she was preparing to move out of the town where she had lived for 20 years, having installed security cameras after suspected surveillance. Reflecting on the experience, she said: “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.”
