Washington Post ordered to rehire Karen Attiah after Charlie Kirk posts
Karen Attiah was ordered to be reinstated by the Washington Post after a private arbitrator ruled that her firing in September 2025 was unjustified. The newspaper had dismissed her for social media posts reacting to the killing of Charlie Kirk, which her supporters argued were within her rights as an opinion writer. Attiah celebrated her victory, stating she fought back against the Post’s decision, which she claimed was retaliatory for her truthful commentary. The arbitrator found that her dismissal lacked sufficient cause and that the Post failed to prove she engaged in gross misconduct. Internal communications revealed that her posts, made on the day Kirk was shot, were considered unacceptable by her editors, leading to her termination amid claims of performance issues. The dispute was settled through arbitration on August 20, confirming her reinstatement. The case highlights tensions around free expression, employee rights, and the boundaries of social media conduct in journalism.
The Washington Post was ordered to rehire Karen Attiah after a private arbitrator ruled the newspaper broke its labor agreement when it fired the opinion columnist over her social media posts following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Attiah was fired in September 2025 after posting her reaction to the Turning Point USA co-founder’s killing at Utah Valley University. She celebrated her rehiring on social media Monday, declaring her victory in the dispute with the Washington Post.
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“The Washington Post fired me last year for speaking the truth after Charlie Kirk’s killing. I fought back,” Attiah said. “I’m happy to announce: I won my case against the Washington Post. They have been ordered to reinstate me immediately.”
According to the arbitrator’s decision obtained by the New York Times, Attiah’s dismissal was not backed by “good and sufficient cause,” and the outlet “failed to establish the grievant engaged in gross misconduct.”
One of the posts cited by the organization was made on the day Kirk was shot and referenced the wave of grief that struck his friends, family, and followers.
“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,” Attiah said, later arguing she made the statements in the purview of her position as an opinion writer.
But her editor at the time, Wayne Connell, and the company’s chief human resources officer, Adam O’Neal, did not see it that way.
According to written testimony from June obtained by the New York Times, O’Neal saw Attiah’s posts and sent them to Connell. O’Neal said her statements were “beyond the pale, completely unacceptable for someone associated with Opinions.”
O’Neal and Connell then met with the Washington Post’s CEO, Will Lewis, and made the decision to terminate Attiah. The termination letter also references performance concerns, suggesting other factors contributed to her firing.
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The columnist said the outlet violated its labor agreement by firing her, but the agreement included a clause that allowed her to dispute her dismissal through arbitration.
The matter was settled on Aug. 20 after a year of discussions and is legally binding, as the outlet’s labor agreement says that any resolution made through arbitration is such.
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