Georgia teacher wins settlement over Charlie Kirk assassination comments
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Former Georgia teacher Michelle Mickens settled her lawsuit with the Oglethorpe County School District on Wednesday after claiming she was unfairly punished for citations she issued after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
In October, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) filed a lawsuit on Mickens’ behalf after he was placed on indefinite leave and encouraged to resign after making controversial comments about Kirk’s killing on his private Facebook page in September.
“I think it’s worth it. Unfortunately, it’s worth paying the price for some gun deaths every year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. – Charlie Kirk,” first post read.
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Former Georgia teacher Michelle Mickens previously wrote that the world was “safer” without Charlie Kirk shortly after his death. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Mickens later joined the fray with a Facebook friend who disagreed with his post, where he condemned political violence but added that the world was “safer” without Kirk.
“Yes, you’ve gone too far with this. You’re making a lot of terrible assumptions here, but that speaks more about you than it does about me. I don’t condone violence of any kind and I certainly don’t condone it, but he was a terrible person, a fascist with hatred for anyone who was different,” Mickens wrote.
Her post continued: “While I am saddened that we live in a country where gun violence is epidemic, the world is a little safer without him. I never respected him and he is now part of the hatred and vitriol we hear so much about. I pray that without him, people can be kinder and more tolerant towards each other.”
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Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, during his “American Comeback Tour.” (Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
After a former classmate shared the post on X, Mickens was called into the office to discuss a complaint about his comments. Mickens claimed the principal and superintendent initially suggested he delete the post and apologize, but he was later asked to stay home and access to his school emails was revoked.
According to the records obtained Atlanta Magazine-ConstitutionMickens received approximately $270,420 for his “alleged emotional distress” and $17,080 to cover legal fees. Mickens also agreed not to seek employment in the area again.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Oglethorpe County School District superintendent and the SPLC for comment.
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One Press release Following the settlement, SPLC senior supervising attorney Sam Boyd said: “We are pleased to reach a mutually amicable resolution to this matter. As courts across the country have recognized in other cases involving firings for comments about Charlie Kirk and many other topics, ‘public school employees, including teachers, have a constitutionally protected right to free speech.'”
Numerous teachers have faced suspension or termination after making controversial comments regarding the Charlie Kirk assassination. (Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
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In the days following Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University, many teachers faced suspension or even termination for social media comments justifying or celebrating Kirk’s death.
Since then, some teachers have been reinstated following controversial statements or lawsuits.
