Washington Post ordered to reinstate opinion writer fired over Charlie Kirk posts
Summary
An independent arbitrator has ordered the Washington Post to rehire opinion writer Karen Attiah after she was fired for comments made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his death. The arbitrator found that the Post violated Attiah’s union rights and must compensate her for lost wages.Key Facts
- Karen Attiah was fired by the Washington Post in September 2025 over social media posts about Charlie Kirk, who had recently been killed.
- The Post said Attiah violated its social media policy by harming the paper’s editorial reputation.
- Attiah’s posts criticized public mourning for Kirk and linked it to violence and hatred.
- The Post’s opinion editor and top leaders decided to fire her citing concerns about security risks and reputational harm.
- The Washington-Baltimore News Guild union supported Attiah, saying she was not guilty of misconduct.
- Arbitrator Sarah Miller Espinosa ruled the firing violated Attiah’s union rights and ordered her reinstatement with back pay.
- The Post said it respects the arbitration but has not said if it will appeal.
- Attiah said the ruling confirms her right to freedom of expression as an opinion journalist.
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