Arbitrator says Washington Post writer wrongfully fired over Charlie Kirk posts
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The Washington Post headquarters in Washington, D.C. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
An independent arbitrator ruled that former Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah was wrongfully terminated last year over social posts tied to the death of Charlie Kirk, and ordered her reinstated with back pay and lost benefits.
Why it matters: The ruling proves the power of news unions in protecting journalists' rights, as news management teams face increased political pressure around free speech.
Catch up quick: Attiah was was fired last September over social media posts she made about race and gun control following the killing of the late conservative activist Kirk.
- Attiah said she was fired without a conversation. She posted a letter on her Substack account from The Post's head of human resources Wayne Connell, saying her posts "harm the integrity of our organization, and potentially endanger the physical safety of our staff."
- Attiah said she categorically rejected the allegation.
Zoom out: Kirk's death served as a major free speech referendum for newsrooms.
- Attiah was one of several journalists and media figures fired for comments made in the wake of Kirk's killing.
Zoom in: In a statement, The Washington Post News Guild said the ruling "vindicates" its fight.
- Its collective bargaining agreement, the union said, requires that for union employees, termination must either be the result of progressive discipline or rise to the level of "gross misconduct."
- The arbitrator ruled that the posts did not disparage anyone, and that the Post's decision to hold Attiah accountable for threats of violence made by bad actors against her, was a "wholly rejected justification for the termination," according to a statement from The Guild.
- A Washington Post spokesperson said "we respect the arbitration process and decline to comment further."
The big picture: The Post was facing broader challenges and newsroom tensions at the time Attiah was fired.
- The paper had been grappling with reader blowback from a decision by owner Jeff Bezos the year prior to kill an an endorsement for then-presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
- There was also a long string of exits by top journalists.
