University of Tennessee to pay $1.9M to Tamar Shirinian

The University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees approved a $1.9 million settlement with former assistant anthropology professor Tamar Shirinian, who was fired after a viral Facebook comment about Charlie Kirk's assassination. She will not be reinstated, and Gov. Bill Lee and the attorney general must still sign off.

The payout ends a federal wrongful-termination fight that drew national attention to free speech, political pressure, and the real cost of campus litigation. For readers tracking Wealth Hacks & Passive Income, the Tamar Shirinian case is a stark reminder that employment disputes at public institutions can turn into multimillion-dollar settlements.

Key Takeaways

• UT trustees approved paying Tamar Shirinian $1.9 million to settle her lawsuit over her firing for a Charlie Kirk Facebook comment.
• Shirinian will not return to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville faculty under the agreement.
• The deal still requires approval from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.
• UT placed Shirinian on leave in September 2025 and formally terminated her on February 11, 2026.
• Board chair John Compton said continuing litigation would drain time, attention, and financial resources from the university's mission.

Why did the University of Tennessee agree to pay Tamar Shirinian $1.9 million?

University leaders moved to close a costly legal battle rather than take it to a jury trial scheduled for January 2027. The University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees approved the settlement with Tamar Shirinian after its Audit and Compliance Committee met in a nonpublic session on June 29, 2026, according to reporting from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Board chair John Compton recused himself from the vote. After the committee acted, Compton told trustees that any continuing litigation would require significant time, attention, and financial resources, and that those resources would be better directed toward advancing the institution's mission, vision, and values.

Shirinian's attorney, Robb Bigelow, said his client was pleased the parties reached a resolution. He told Knox News that litigation is always difficult and that the settlement reflects the seriousness of the issues while allowing everyone to move forward.

What did Tamar Shirinian say about Charlie Kirk on Facebook?

The dispute began on September 12, 2025, two days after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Shirinian, a cultural anthropology assistant professor at UT-Knoxville, posted a comment on a friend's private Facebook post.

According to Knox News and The Daily Beacon, part of that comment stated that the world is better off without him in it. A social media provocateur spread Shirinian's remark online, sparking public outrage and calls for the university to fire her.

Shirinian later apologized in a letter to UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman. WATE reported that she called her comments ineloquent and heartless, condemned political violence, and said her post was insensitive but did not endorse violence.

How did Tamar Shirinian go from suspension to a $1.9M payout?

The timeline moved quickly once the comment went public. UT System President Randy Boyd announced an investigation on September 15, 2025. Chancellor Donde Plowman suspended Shirinian and began termination proceedings shortly after Kirk's death, with the university placing her on leave in September.

Shirinian sued in federal court on October 29, 2025, claiming her First Amendment rights were violated. Plowman finalized the decision to fire Shirinian on February 11, 2026, for misconduct. The Daily Beacon described the case as a wrongful termination lawsuit that fueled campus debate over free speech and due process.

Despite expressing a desire to return to the classroom, Shirinian's settlement does not include reinstatement. WATE reported that the full UT Board of Trustees approved the agreement on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, after the Audit and Compliance Committee's Monday vote.

Who still needs to approve the settlement?

The $1.9 million agreement is not final yet. State officials, including Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Gov. Bill Lee, must approve the settlement before it takes effect, according to all three local sources.

A court filing made late June 29 says the parties will notify the court when all details are finalized. The court is requiring both sides to file the final document ending the case by August 28, 2026.

Bigelow, also identified as Robert Bigelow in Daily Beacon reporting, filed a notice of settlement on June 29. He said the agreement will resolve the matter in its entirety, eight months after the lawsuit was first filed.

Why does the Tamar Shirinian settlement matter beyond Knoxville?

The payout lands in a broader national conversation about academic freedom after professor terminations tied to Charlie Kirk's death. The Daily Beacon noted that Shirinian is not the first professor in Tennessee or the country to receive compensation after a termination of this nature.

WATE pointed to two related precedents. Last month, a Tennessee man jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post about the assassination agreed to an $835,000 settlement. Austin Peay State University in Clarksville reinstated professor Darren Michael in January and paid him a $500,000 settlement after he sued over his firing for sharing a 2023 news headline about Charlie Kirk and gun deaths.

For taxpayers and university stakeholders, the Tamar Shirinian settlement underscores how quickly a personal social media post can escalate into years of litigation and a seven-figure bill. Compton also used the June 29 board meeting to express confidence in President Boyd and Chancellor Plowman as they continue leading the UT System and Knoxville campus.

What happens next in the Tamar Shirinian case?

Attention now shifts to state approval and the federal court docket. Once Gov. Lee and Attorney General Skrmetti sign off, the university can disburse the $1.9 million and formally close the litigation.

The Daily Beacon reported it was awaiting comment from Shirinian, Bigelow, and the university as of publication. Until the final court document is filed by the August 28 deadline, the case remains technically open even with a settlement in principle.

Whether or not one agrees with Shirinian's comment, the financial outcome is clear: UT chose a multimillion-dollar exit ramp rather than a 2027 jury trial over protected speech, political backlash, and a professor's off-duty Facebook post.