Summary
The University of South Dakota decided not to fire Professor Phillip Michael Hook over a social media post about Charlie Kirk's death. The decision followed a legal challenge by Hook, leading to a temporary restraining order issued by a federal judge, who found that Hook's comments were protected by the First Amendment.
Key Facts
- The University of South Dakota planned to fire Professor Hook after he posted a controversial Facebook comment about Charlie Kirk, a political activist who was killed.
- Hook called Kirk a "hate spreading Nazi" in his post, which he later deleted and apologized for.
- The university and South Dakota political leaders criticized Hook’s comments and sought his dismissal.
- Hook filed a lawsuit, and a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to stop the firing process.
- The judge stated Hook's speech was protected by the First Amendment, as it was a citizen comment on public affairs.
- The restraining order suggests that firing Hook could hinder free speech.
- Despite dropping the firing bid, Hook's lawsuit against the state remains ongoing.
- Hook continues to work as a tenured professor at the University of South Dakota.
