South Florida Professors Reinstated After Suspensions for Charlie Kirk Comments

A pair of Florida Atlantic University (FAU) professors were back in the classroom earlier this month after facing months-long suspensions for comments made about the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, a school spokesman confirmed to New Times.

Finance professor Rebel Cole and associate professor of art history Karen Leader came under fire in September for comments they made immediately after the shooting. The professors are among scores of professionals who faced punishment across the country for publicly posting about Kirk, including a Miami Country Day administrator who resigned, a University of Miami neurologist who was fired, and a Palmetto Bay councilman who faced prolonged public scolding and could ultimately lose his seat.

Kirk led Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting conservative policies among high school and university students nationwide. Turning Point’s anti-woke messaging and grassroots mobilization of Gen Z and Millennials played an influential role in President Donald Trump’s second run for office.

Even in his death, Kirk, who is perhaps best known for viral social media videos of him sparring with college students over issues like gun rights, abortion, and immigration, is among the most polarizing figures in contemporary U.S. politics.

While most of the prominent people who faced punishment made comments disparaging Kirk for his polarizing viewpoints on guns, abortion rights, and Black professionals, Cole was one of the few punished for remarks seemingly made in defense of Kirk.

In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Cole made the day after the assassination, he posted a link to an aggregation website tracking those who’ve made disparaging comments about Kirk and wrote, “Fabulous website! We are going to hunt you down. We are going to identify you. Then we are going to make you radioactive to polite society. And we will make you both unemployed and unemployable.”

Cole later returned to X to proclaim that he had done nothing wrong and ask people to donate to his apparent impending legal challenge, requesting a modest $500,000 on GiveSendGo. He’s accumulated $150 since September.

Leader confirmed to Reuters that she had also returned to campus, while a third professor remains on leave. WPBF News first identified the art history associate professor as Leader, who spoke to the outlet.

“I did not mention his death or his murder,” Leader told the outlet. “I reposted information about who Charlie Kirk was, including videos, quotes, and articles. My intention, along with other posters, was to counter a rapidly emerging narrative insisting that Mr. Kirk was moderate.”

While a few faced immediate firings and Leader and Cole waited months to return to their positions in academia, at least one prominent South Floridian is still waiting to hear his fate. Palmetto Bay Councilman Steve Cody could still be ousted from his seat, Mayor Karyn Cunningham confirmed to New Times.

Cody, who faced a long-lasting tongue-lashing at a city council meeting, had one of the more sardonic takes on the Kirk shooting, according to Politico.

He also shared a highly circulated Kirk quote about how it was “worth to have a cost of – unfortunately – some gun deaths every single year,” to preserve the Second Amendment.

“Charlie Kirk is a fitting sacrifice to our Lords Smith & Wesson,” Cody wrote alongside the post, referring to the firearms manufacturer. “Hallowed be their names.”

Cody told Playbook, a Politico podcast, that he awoke the next day and realized his post was “incredibly stupid.”

He later told angry residents that he had no intention of resigning during the same council meeting in which his colleagues voted to remove him. The ultimate decision, however, lies with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has yet to rule on the matter, Cunningham confirmed.