The University of Tennessee $1.9M settlement was authorized by the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees during a public session to resolve a lawsuit filed by former assistant professor Tamar Shirinian. Trustees voted to accept the terms presented by university counsel and administrators, bringing an end to litigation tied to disciplinary steps taken after a social media post that prompted widespread attention.
Board approves $1.9M settlement
Board members voted to approve the $1.9 million payout after university attorneys outlined the proposed terms in the public meeting. The board’s recorded session, made available by the University of Tennessee System, shows trustees discussing the recommendation from university counsel. Robb Bigelow, Shirinian’s attorney, confirmed after the meeting that the parties had reached a resolution and said his client was “pleased that the parties reached a resolution,” according to reporters who spoke with him.
Shirinian social media post and apology
The conflict began after a social media post by Shirinian that, according to reporting by Knox News and other outlets, included the line, “The world is better off without him in it,” in reference to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Knox News reported additional excerpts attributed to the post that used harsh language about Kirk and members of his family. Media accounts say Shirinian later apologized; coverage quotes her saying the remarks were “insensitive” and “uncharacteristic of me as a person.” Those statements and the original post became central to the university’s administrative review and subsequent legal claims.
University response and firing
The university placed Shirinian on administrative leave after the post and initiated disciplinary proceedings. According to reporting on the matter, Chancellor Donde Plowman notified Shirinian in a termination letter dated Feb. 11 that she had been dismissed. The letter, as described in media coverage, said Shirinian’s words “celebrated a gruesome murder” and demeaned the grief of the victim’s widow and children; university officials framed the remarks as inconsistent with expectations for faculty conduct both on and off campus.
Settlement details and reaction
Details presented at the board meeting, as reflected in the public recording, indicate the agreement resolves the lawsuit between Shirinian and the university without reinstatement. Robb Bigelow, the attorney representing Shirinian, told reporters the settlement allows those involved to move forward after difficult litigation. In remarks to Fox News Digital quoted from the university, a University of Tennessee System spokesperson said the office “does not have a comment outside of what was publicly said in the board meeting yesterday.” The board meeting recording is available online for public review.
Why this matters for campus speech and policy
The case underscores ongoing tensions on campuses over academic free speech and how universities discipline faculty for off-campus or online expression. Institutions routinely must balance protections for faculty speech with policies designed to uphold professional standards, community safety and the welfare of students and staff. When speech touches on traumatic events or targets public figures, universities face heightened public scrutiny and legal risk.
Legal disputes like the Shirinian case test where those lines fall and which remedies are appropriate when speech policies collide with allegations of misconduct. The settlement — a financial resolution without reinstatement, as discussed at the board meeting — closes this chapter for the parties involved, but it is likely to be watched by administrators, faculty governance bodies and legal counsel at other institutions as they consider policy language, complaint procedures and the scope of discipline for outside speech.
Source attribution: Reporting on this matter cited Fox News Digital coverage and local reporting by Knox News; the University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees meeting recording is publicly available here: https://utk.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Embed.aspx?id=6feac1d2-c046-4ae1-b235-b47301773c93&autoplay=false&offerviewer=false&showtitle=true&showbrand=false&captions=false&interactivity=none
Additional reporting: https://www.foxnews.com/media/tennessee-university-pay-professor-1-9m-calling-charlie-kirk-disgusting-psychopath
