Florida biologist sues after firing over Charlie Kirk social media post

ORLANDO, Fla. - Brittney Brown was fired by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Sept. 15 after reposting a social media comment about the late conservative leader Charlie Kirk. 

Now, she's challenging her firing in court.

What we know:

Brittney Brown, a biologist with the FWC, alleges the firing violated her First Amendment rights, arguing her post was private political speech. The FWC contends her termination was necessary to prevent operational disruption, reputational harm, and loss of public trust.

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Brown reposted an Instagram post from "@whalefact" that mocked Kirk, calling attention to gun violence in schools. The firing came shortly after a conservative account, Libs of TikTok, highlighted the post and called for her termination. 

Her dismissal is part of a broader pattern of sanctions against critics of Kirk following his murder.

What they're saying:

Brown’s attorney Gary Edinger argued, "It’s a political statement on a matter that everyone in America is still talking about… You can’t invoke that bogeyman as a cover for content-based, viewpoint-based discrimination."

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State attorneys countered, "The First Amendment does not shield public employees from the consequences of speech that undermines the effectiveness, credibility or public trust on which their agencies depend… FWC’s interest in maintaining credibility and neutrality far outweighs any minimal expressive value."

Judge Mark Walker noted, "You don’t get to fire somebody just because the public is yapping at you… workers don’t have an absolute right" to employment.