A University of Alberta law professor who was the target of online harassment following their social media posts about Charlie Kirk’s death, says they were put on administrative leave by the university without being consulted.
Florence Ashley, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, says they received a letter from the U of A on Sept. 14 informing them they were being put on non-disciplinary leave following backlash over social media posts they made about Charlie Kirk’s death.
The day after Kirk was shot at an event at a Utah university, Ashley tweeted criticism of a New York Times article praising Kirk’s way of doing politics, writing: “You do not, in fact, ever have to hand it to the Nazis. I utterly do not care for any ‘virtues’ that someone may perceive in them.”
Their post was quickly picked up and amplified by right-wing media including National Post columnist Jamie Sarkonak and Quillette editor Jonathan Kay.
In a statement to Xtra, a representative from the U of A confirmed that Ashley had been put on leave and returned to work on Sept. 22.
“Following the September 10, 2025 death of Charlie Kirk, the University of Alberta became aware of concerning online comments involving members of our community. A faculty member was placed on non-disciplinary leave while a review was conducted by the university’s safety and legal teams. That review has now concluded, and as of September 22, 2025, the faculty member has fully returned to their duties after it was determined there is no imminent risk associated with this incident. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff remains our top priority, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
This situation and other cases of professional repercussions for posting criticism of Kirk or his views, particularly at universities, raises rightful concerns about the chilling effect these moves can have on academic free speech. And it all feels particularly ironic considering it’s often self-proclaimed advocates of free speech who are pushing to see people punished for what they post online.
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