Florida to – Florida will pay $485,000 to Brittany Brown, a biologist fired after she criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media following his death, adding to a growing trail of payouts and lawsuits over firings tied to Kirk-related posts.
Brittany Brown found out her job was gone on a Tuesday in mid-September 2025—after she reposted a line about whales and the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk to her private Instagram story.
Now Florida is set to pay nearly half a million dollars to settle her free speech lawsuit.
In a settlement agreement signed May 21, Brown—who worked for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission—will receive $485,000. The terms include $235,000 to cover the loss of her job and $40,000 in backpay. She will also receive $210,000 to cover attorney fees and costs.
Brown filed her lawsuit after she was fired in September 2025, just days after Kirk was slain while speaking at a Utah college. The accused gunman identified in the case was Tyler Robinson, according to the reporting.
The specific post that got Brown disciplined read: “the whales are deeply saddened to learn of the shooting of charlie kirk. haha just kidding. they care exactly as much as charlie kirk cared about children being shot in their classrooms. which is to say. not at all.” Brown reposted another account’s statement to her private Instagram story on Sept. 15, 2025, and the commission moved to terminate her shortly afterward.
At the time, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Brown’s post “made light” of Kirk’s killing, and described its approach as having “zero-tolerance” toward the “promotion of violence and hate.” The agency said it would not stand for such behavior.
Brown has said her work focus—bird conservation—has made it harder for her to find a new role because the commission is the regulatory body for this area.
The settlement also includes an agreement from Brown not to apply or seek reinstatement to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the future.
When asked about the settlement, an agency spokesperson declined comment.
Gary Edinger. an attorney representing Brown. said the case reflects Brown’s “refusal to accept that the government gets to decide which opinions its employees are allowed to hold.” In a statement. Brown said. “These concerning practices underscore the extent to which political pressure from Tallahassee is influencing our state agencies. ” adding that “FWC employees deserve better. and so do Floridians.”.
Her lawsuit was the first known case in Florida involving a state worker facing discipline over an online response to Kirk’s killing. Since then, many others around the country have followed with lawsuits, sought reinstatement, or accepted payouts.
The chain of cases shows how quickly social media posts can turn into employment consequences, especially after the Sept. 10 shooting. Dozens of people—including teachers. professors. nurses. lawyers. and other professionals—were fired or faced disciplinary actions for comments they made after Kirk’s death.
Some of those actions involved employees at public universities or state government jobs, which has become central to their claims that free speech protections should apply more broadly.
In Tennessee, a former police officer, Larry Bushart, was arrested and charged over Charlie Kirk social media posts. Bushart reached a settlement for $835,000 to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit against local authorities.
He was arrested Sept. 22 and charged with making threats of mass violence after posting a photo of a President Donald Trump quote in the Facebook comments of a Perry County community group page. the Nashville Tennessean reported as part of the USA TODAY Network. His lawyers said he was held on a $2 million bond for over a month. during which he lost a medical transportation job and missed the birth of a grandchild. The charges against him were dropped Oct. 29 after pushback from the community. His lawsuit accused Perry County. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems. and Perry County Sheriff’s Investigator Jason Morrow of violating his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights.
In January. another case in Tennessee ended in a payout: Austin Peay State University theater professor Darren Michael reached a settlement for $500. 000 after his September firing over social media posts about Kirk. Michael had shared an article on his personal social media account titled “Charlie Kirk says gun deaths are ‘unfortunately’ worth it to keep 2nd Amendment. ” drawing backlash that included criticism from Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. Michael was reinstated to his job Dec. 30, the Tennessean reported.
More professors fired over their Kirk-related comments were also reinstated or had suspensions lifted, or investigations concluded in their favor.
Other settlements mentioned in the reporting include a public defender and an English teacher at a high school in Iowa.
Taken together. the agreements—ranging from a $485. 000 settlement for Brown to $835. 000 for Bushart and $500. 000 for Michael—map a pattern of employment fallout after Kirk-related posts. The common thread is that the discipline reached beyond ordinary workplace policy disputes and into questions about what government employers may do in response to what employees post online.
For Brown in Florida, the end point is already written in numbers: $235,000 for job loss, $40,000 in backpay, and $210,000 for attorney fees and costs—paired with the condition she will not seek reinstatement in the future.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Brittany Brown free speech lawsuit Charlie Kirk Tyler Robinson social media firings First Amendment backpay attorney fees