FILE-Washington Post editor Karen Attiah leads a discussion on Saudi hacking techniques at the Oslo Freedom Forum 2019 on May 28, 2019 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Julia Reinhart/Getty Images)
The Washington Post has been ordered to reinstate a Black opinion writer fired because of a social media post regarding violent white men after Charlie Kirk’s death in 2025.
On Aug. 20, an arbitrator ruled that the newspaper didn’t have reasonable cause to terminate Karen Attiah, who at the time was the founding global opinion editor for the Post and the newspaper's only Black female opinion writer.
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The Associated Press reported that the arbitrator also ordered the newspaper to award Attiah full back pay and lost benefits.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Attiah wrote, "After wrongfully firing me last year, an independent arbitrator has ordered the @washingtonpost to reinstate me immediately, with back pay. It’s been a year-long fight, but this is a victory for journalists everywhere. More to come soon."
Kirk, 31, a podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, during a public appearance at Utah Valley University. In 2021, Kirk started Turning Point USA and made controversial statements about race, gender and politics.
Karen Attiah’s posts after Charlie Kirk’s death
What they're saying:
Karen Attiah made several posts about Charlie Kirk to her Bluesky account.
The Associated Press reported that one of Attiah’s posts read: "Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence."
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"If anything, the rush to coddle violent white men is self-protective — that we know they are not used to feeling vulnerable and mortal — and will react violently out of fear. And we will all suffer," another post read.
Attiah was emailed a termination letter on Sept. 11, accusing her of "gross misconduct."
The AP obtained the letter which read, "Your public comments on social media regarding the death of Charlie Kirk violate the Post’s social media policies, harm the integrity of our organization, and potentially endanger the physical safety of our staff."
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Attiah’s firing was among dozens of others across various professions from comments about Kirk’s assassination, starting a debate over First Amendment rights as President Donald Trump vowed revenge for remarks he deemed derogatory.
The Washington Post said in a statement that it respects the arbitration process, but declined to comment further, according to the AP.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which cites a statement from The Washington Post, and an Instagram post from Karen Attiah. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.