Florida state officials have agreed to pay nearly $500,000 to a wildlife researcher who lost her job after posting critical comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media following his assassination.
Brittney Brown, who worked as a biologist, was terminated by the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission last September after sharing a meme on her personal Instagram that suggested Kirk was indifferent to school shootings. She pursued legal action demanding her position back, explaining that finding alternative employment proved difficult since the state commission regulates her field of expertise in avian conservation.
On Thursday, Brown finalized a settlement worth $485,000 with commission leadership, which includes back wages, compensation for damages, and legal fees. As part of the agreement, she has committed to not pursuing future positions with the agency.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
Brown joined numerous employees across public and private organizations who faced termination following remarks about Kirk’s shooting death at a university in Utah. Multiple legal challenges regarding these dismissals remain active in courts.
Prior to his assassination, Kirk and his organization, Turning Point USA, mobilized conservative young voters and contributed to President Donald Trump securing a second presidential term.
Following the September 10 shooting incident, Kirk’s followers searched social media platforms for content they interpreted as celebrating his death. Public figures including Laura Loomer vowed to damage the professional lives of those who made jokes about the killing, while the conservative social media presence Libs of TikTok revealed personal information and employment details of many who posted to its millions of followers.
After Libs of TikTok featured Brown’s post, her employment was terminated the following day, her legal filing states. Brown noted that someone informed Libs of TikTok about her dismissal approximately 10 minutes after it occurred and before any public announcement.
In an unusual case in Tennessee, authorities detained a former police officer for 37 days over a Facebook comment making light of Kirk’s assassination. Tennessee state officials agreed this Wednesday to pay $835,000 to resolve a lawsuit brought by Larry Bushart. During his incarceration, Bushart lost his post-retirement position and was unable to attend his granddaughter’s birth before prosecutors ultimately dismissed the felony charges, according to his legal complaint.
Prior to her dismissal, Brown had served with Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for approximately seven years, conducting research on coastal and marine birds in the panhandle region, court records show.
Carrie McNamara, representing the ACLU of Florida, described Brown’s settlement as “a hard-won vindication” that demonstrates to Florida authorities they cannot retaliate against speech they find objectionable.
“The First Amendment does not disappear when someone accepts a government job,” McNamara said.
Melissa Tucker, who supervised Brown as Habitat and Species Conservation Director, had asserted that Brown’s social media activity prompted hundreds of formal complaints and created substantial workplace disruption. Legal proceedings later showed the agency actually received approximately 50 complaints.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued sanctions against Tucker for overstating the complaint volume and failing to correct the misrepresentation.
