Washington Post ordered to reinstate opinion writer fired over Charlie Kirk posts
An independent arbitrator has ordered the Washington Post to reinstate opinion columnist Karen Attiah, who was fired over social media posts regarding the death of activist Charlie Kirk. The ruling determined that the firing violated her rights as a union-protected employee.
Why it matters
The case sets a significant precedent regarding the boundaries of freedom of expression for journalists and the protections afforded by media unions.
Karen Attiah leads a discussion at the Oslo Freedom Forum on 28 May 2019 in Oslo, Norway. Karen Attiah leads a discussion at the Oslo Freedom Forum on 28 May 2019 in Oslo, Norway. Business Washington Post ordered to reinstate opinion writer fired over Charlie Kirk posts Arbitrator determined the Post improperly fired Karen Attiah, a union-protected employee, over social media posts
Prefer the Guardian on Google An independent arbitrator has ordered the Washington Post to rehire the high-profile opinion columnist Karen Attiah, abruptly fired by the news organization last September over comments she made on social media about Charlie Kirk , the then recently killed conservative activist.
On Monday, an arbitrator ruled that the Post had violated her rights as a union-protected employee and ordered the newspaper to reinstate her and compensate her for lost wages.
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