Austin Peay State University in Tennessee has agreed to settle with a professor fired for a social media post he made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination for $500,000.

Darren Michael, an associate professor of theatre, has also been reinstated, and the university has issued an apology to the campus community.

Michael was officially reinstated Dec. 30, according to WKRN, which obtained a copy of the settlement agreement earlier this week. The agreement also states APSU will pay Michael $500,000 and reimburse him for therapeutic counseling services, the outlet reported.

The New York Post reported the controversy stems from a social media post Michael made two days after the conservative pundit was shot and killed on a Utah campus in September:

In one Facebook post — which caught the attention of US Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) — Michael shared an article titled, “Charlie Kirk says gun deaths are ‘unfortunately’ worth it to keep 2nd Amendment.” 

The professor did not add any additional caption to the post. 

Blackburn shared a screenshot of Michael’s Facebook on X, with the caption: “What do you say, Austin Peay?” The senator’s post included a photograph of Michael and his resume.

A statement issued by APSU President Mike Licari at the time read: “A faculty member of Austin Peay State University reshared a post on social media that was insensitive, disrespectful and interpreted by many as propagating justification for unlawful death. Such actions do not align with Austin Peay’s commitment to mutual respect and human dignity. The university deems these actions unacceptable and has terminated the faculty member.”

The New York Times reports that two weeks later the university backtracked and placed Michael “on a paid suspension for the rest of the fall semester while it pursued his termination.”

“It was a very, very traumatic circumstance for him and his family,” David King, Professor Michael’s lawyer, said in a phone interview with the Times on Wednesday.

“…Tennessee’s governor, attorney general and comptroller all approved the settlement, helping the state university avert potential litigation in the wrongful-termination dispute,” the Times reported.

Moreover, as the Associated Press reported, in a Dec. 30 email to the campus community, President Licari said “I deeply regret and apologize for the impact this has had on Professor Michael and on our campus community. I am committed to ensuring that due process and fairness are upheld in all future actions.”

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