Several dozen members of the United Campus Workers of Tennessee gathered Wednesday at the Humanities Plaza on the campus of the University of Tennessee to drum up support for free speech and academic freedom before delivering a petition to UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman. The union's petition urges Plowman to re-hire Tamar Shirnian, a former assistant professor of cultural anthropology who was suspended in September for making controversial comments about Charlie Kirk after the conservative activist was shot and killed in Utah.
The firing has generated outrage and fear among many UT faculty members, who say it represents a violation of First Amendment freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Jessica Westerhold is an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. She spoke at the Wednesday rally, encouraging union members to stand up for their right to free speech.
“There will be a looming threat to all employees of UT,” Westerhold said. “They could be fired if their private speech is intercepted and reported to government, to administration or to their supervisor. The consequence is not chilling – it’s silencing. It creates distrust among members of our community. We should not have to be afraid.”
Some debate whether Shirinian’s statements about Kirk were public or private. They were originally posted as a comment on a friend’s private Facebook post, but were quickly leaked by conservative activists in the days following Kirk’s death.
It wasn’t long before the comment ignited outrage across conservative social media channels. U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett was tagged in one post on X about Shirinian. He replied, “on it.”
The next day, the assistant professor was placed on immediate suspension with pay pending further proceedings. In the termination letter, Plowman wrote that Shirinian had posted “incendiary” comments which indicated she does not “have the competencies necessary to to be an effective instructor.”
“It feels very much like an act of intimidation from the university,” said Jordan Drake, a grad student at UT who attended Wednesday’s rally. “A lot of [campus] workers are going to be fearful about sharing opinions in public and private spaces.”
Some workers have already expressed that fear. Union organizer Darla Bonagura says while circulating the petition in support of Shirinian's reinstatement, many faculty told her they wanted to sign it but they didn’t want to risk retribution from UT administrators or their government. It’s an unsustainable atmosphere, says Senior Lecturer Jake Watkins.
“Why would any potential new hire look at our university after this and say, ‘you know what, that's where I'm going to go,’” Watkins said. “We have opened a Pandora's box, and we cannot put this precedent back in.”
Shirinian has contested her firing in a lawsuit filed October 29 which accused Plowman along with UT System President Randy Boyd and UT Faculty Senate President Charles Noble of violating her First Amendment rights.
Anne Langendorfer, a professor of English at UT and president of the UCW’s Tennessee chapter says a lawsuit shouldn’t have to be necessary.
“Shirinian’s right to speech shouldn’t even be a question,” Langendorfer said. “The fact that it is means that we’ve got a job to do.”
After hearing from several speakers, including Shirinian’s husband, the group of union members marched across Volunteer Boulevard and through Circle Park to Andy Holt Tower, where they rode the elevator to the Chancellor’s Office and presented their petition of more than 1,300 signatures.
“We have the right to speak out for our colleagues who are here and our colleagues who are not here,” Langendorfer said. “So we want to speak up for [Shirinian] and for her right to have a job here at this university, and in doing so, we're reinforcing our right to speak up, not only as a part of our work, but also when we're at home as a neighbor and as a citizen here in Knoxville.”
Shirinian has filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against UT administrators which would require her to be reinstated to her position while court proceedings take place. The university has until next week to respond.
