- Ball State University has agreed to pay $225,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by former employee Suzanne Swierc, who alleged her free-speech rights were violated.
- Swierc was dismissed from her role as director of health promotion and advocacy after making a private Facebook post criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death.
- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the federal lawsuit, arguing that Swierc's firing violated her constitutional rights as she was “speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern”.
- Ball State cited “significant disruption” to the campus community and threats to student enrolment and fundraising as reasons for Swierc's dismissal, with its president defending the decision.
- This settlement follows similar cases where employees dismissed over social media posts about Kirk have won legal settlements, including a Florida state agency paying $485,000 to settle a lawsuit by a former state biologist.
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