The Washington Post dismissed columnist Karen Attiah last week following her public statements about political violence and racial issues after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 11, 2025, at Utah Valley University.
Attiah announced her termination in a Substack post on September 16, 2025, stating the company dismissed her after she spoke out against political violence, racial double standards, and America’s apathy toward guns. She noted that she only referred to Kirk once in a separate social media post. A spokesperson for the Washington Post declined to comment to CBS News on personnel matters.
The firing comes amid a broader wave of employment actions taken against workers who made public comments about Kirk’s death. Multiple organizations across various industries have terminated or disciplined employees for their remarks about the assassination, sparking debate about free speech protections and workplace policies.
PHNX Sports fired reporter Gerald Bourguet after he posted on social media that “Refusing to mourn a life devoted to that cause is not the same thing as celebrating gun violence.” MSNBC severed ties with analyst Matthew Dowd after he made on-air comments suggesting Kirk had pushed incendiary speech and that hateful thoughts lead to hateful actions.
Comcast accused Dowd of making unacceptable and insensitive comments about the horrific event, stating the coverage was at odds with fostering civil dialogue. Dowd apologized in a Substack post on September 13, 2025, but accused the network of caving to pressure from right-wing media outlets.
The disciplinary actions extend beyond media companies. Middle Tennessee State University fired a university employee over what it characterized as inappropriate and callous comments on social media concerning Kirk’s murder. Nasdaq dismissed an employee over social media posts the stock exchange said violated company policy.
The U.S. Secret Service placed an agent on administrative leave for expressing negative opinions about Kirk, with a spokesperson stating the agency will not tolerate behavior that violates its code of conduct. United Airlines took action against employees who publicly commented on Kirk’s death, citing zero tolerance for politically motivated violence.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy applauded United for placing pilots celebrating the assassination out of service, stating on social media that they must be fired and emphasizing there is no room for political violence in America.
Legal experts indicate private employers have broad authority to terminate workers for public statements they view as potentially harmful. Workplace attorney Marjorie Mesidor explained that private companies can generally fire employees for public comments, including political ones, if those comments harm the company’s reputation, violate workplace policy, or disrupt business operations.
Vanessa Matsis-McCready, vice president of human resources for Engage PEO, noted that high-profile figures must be particularly cautious when commenting publicly on politically charged issues. She indicated that in today’s climate, there is very little tolerance for such commentary, as employers are mindful of what becomes associated with them and try to remain apolitical.
First Amendment protections are generally limited for workers in the private sector, according to attorneys. Some states, including California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, and West Virginia, offer limited safeguards for off-duty conduct or political activity, but these protections are narrow and do not typically shield inflammatory commentary.
The Washington Post’s policies and standards state that a journalist’s use of social media must not harm the editorial integrity or journalistic reputation of the publication. Attiah’s dismissal represents the latest personnel action in what has become a widespread corporate response to employee commentary about Kirk’s assassination.
Attiah previously gained attention in June 2020 when she posted controversial tweets about white women that sparked significant backlash and threats. Despite that controversy, the Washington Post promoted her to staff columnist in June 2021, describing the position as focusing on race, international affairs, culture, and human rights.
The current wave of employment actions highlights the tension between personal expression and workplace policies in an increasingly polarized political environment. Companies across multiple sectors have moved quickly to distance themselves from employee statements they perceive as controversial or potentially damaging to their reputations.
