In a decisive victory for common decency and professional accountability, a Law Professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) has been rightfully terminated from her position after publishing vile and violent comments celebrating the political assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk. This incident exposes the rampant, hate-filled extremism festering within academia, a sector increasingly dominated by a liberal orthodoxy that preaches tolerance while practicing vicious intolerance against anyone who dares to dissent from their radical worldview. The swift action taken by the university stands in stark contrast to the usual coddling of leftist faculty and sends a powerful message that celebrating political violence is a fireable offense.
Following the tragic assassination, UALR Bowen Law professor Felicia Branch did not express horror or remorse. Instead, she took to social media to spew a venomous diatribe that laid bare the true, ugly heart of the modern left. She wrote, “It never fails. People have come out caping for the devil that walked among us.” Her post continued with a twisted theological justification for her hatred, stating, “News flash Christians. The evil one isn’t one singular being. I’m going to need y’all to study a bit more.” This was not a scholarly debate; it was the language of demonization, deliberately dehumanizing a political opponent to justify horrific violence.
The most chilling part of her statement was her explicit and unrepentant celebration of murder. Branch declared, “So no. I will not pull back from CELEBRATING that an evil man died by the method he chose to embrace.” This goes far beyond protected speech; it is the endorsement of political assassination, an act that strikes at the very foundation of our Republic and the civil discourse that President Donald J. Trump has consistently championed. For a professor of law—someone entrusted with shaping the minds of future attorneys and leaders—to openly celebrate the murder of a political figure is a profound betrayal of her professional ethics and a terrifying glimpse into the moral decay within our institutions of higher learning.
Fortunately, the university administration acted correctly and with appropriate force. In a letter to Branch on October 13, UALR Chancellor Christina S. Drale clearly articulated that the professor’s speech breached “professional standards expected by the Bowen Law School and the Board of Trustees.” The chancellor systematically dismantled Branch’s feeble defenses, which included the claim that she was “speaking as a private citizen” and that her posts “did not cause a disruption.” Chancellor Drale rightly saw through this, understanding that a “warning or reprimand” would be insufficient for such egregious conduct. This is a crucial precedent: being a private citizen does not grant a university employee the right to glorify political violence without facing professional consequences.
The recent appalling comments by @BowenLaw professor Felicia Branch speak for themselves. There can be no consideration of someone of such evident low character continuing to instruct future lawyers here in Arkansas. We should and do have broad academic freedom in this country.… pic.twitter.com/ZnOFu5oBru
— Attorney General Tim Griffin (@AGTimGriffin) September 16, 2025
The strong stance was echoed by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, who powerfully summarized the situation. He noted, “The recent appalling comments by @BowenLaw professor Felicia Branch speak for themselves.” Griffin continued, “There can be no consideration of someone of such evident low character continuing to instruct future lawyers here in Arkansas.” In a masterful statement that draws a critical distinction, he added, “We should and do have broad academic freedom in this country. But protections for scholarship offer no reason for an employer to tolerate an employee unabashedly celebrating political assassination.” This is the line that must be defended. Academic freedom is a shield for intellectual inquiry, not a sword for justifying murder. The termination of Felicia Branch is a necessary step in cleansing our public square of the violent rhetoric that has been normalized by the left and stands as a testament to the kind of law and order that is restored under the leadership of President Trump, where incitement and hatred are met with firm and unwavering consequences.