Darren Michael, an associate professor at Austin Peay State University, has been reinstated and will receive $500,000 plus counseling reimbursement after his dismissal over social-media posts about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. A settlement requires APSU to apologize for not following proper tenure termination procedures and to distribute that statement to faculty, staff and students. The university president has publicly apologized and pledged to uphold due process going forward.
Austin Peay Reinstates Professor, Pays $500,000 After Controversial Charlie Kirk Post; University Admits Procedural Error
Charlie Kirk with microphone
Darren Michael, an associate professor at Austin Peay State University (APSU), has been reinstated and will receive $500,000 under a settlement after he was dismissed over social-media posts about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The agreement also requires the university to cover the cost of "therapeutic counseling services" and to issue a formal statement acknowledging that proper tenure termination procedures were not followed.
Settlement Details
Tennessee station WKRN News 2 obtained the settlement document, which specifies the $500,000 payment and counseling reimbursement. The agreement calls for APSU to distribute an apology via the university's usual email channels to faculty, staff and students.
"APSU agrees to issue a statement acknowledging regret for not following the tenure termination process in connection with the Dispute," the settlement states.
Timeline And Controversy
WZTV in Nashville confirmed Michael returned to his faculty position at the end of December. Michael was dismissed on Sept. 12 after several of his social-media posts about Charlie Kirk circulated widely. One of the shared items was an article headlined, "Charlie Kirk says gun deaths are 'unfortunately' worth it to keep 2nd Amendment," which Michael posted without additional comment.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) highlighted one of Michael's posts, attaching his photo and biography and asking the university to respond.
University Response
At the time of the dismissal, APSU President Mike Licari said the action followed what the university described as "insensitive comments" on social media and that such actions "do not align with Austin Peay’s commitment to mutual respect and human dignity."
In a later statement, Licari acknowledged the university did not follow the required termination process in this case and apologized for the impact on Professor Michael and the campus community. "I am committed to ensuring that due process and fairness are upheld in all future actions," he said.
The original story about the firing and settlement appeared on Mediaite; WKRN News 2 and WZTV also reported on the settlement and Michael's reinstatement.
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