Court Denies State’s Effort to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Charlie Kirk Comments

A lawsuit filed by a former state employee — who was fired after making a social media comment related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — is moving forward, despite efforts from the state to have the case dismissed.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee released an opinion Monday from U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger formally denying the state’s motion to dismiss the case.

The lawsuit in question was filed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in December on behalf of Monica Meeks, a U.S. Army veteran who previously worked as a financial services investigator for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. The suit alleges that Meeks was unlawfully terminated from her job by TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence after she commented on another account's Facebook post calling Kirk a white supremacist. In addition, the complaint alleges that Lawrence violated Meeks’ First Amendment right to free speech due to his personal disagreement with her views stated online. 

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In the hours after Meeks posted the comment on Sept. 12, 2025, more than a dozen X accounts shared screenshots of her post. Several hours later, she was sent a termination letter from Lawrence, and the department publicly announced her termination via a post on X. 

The lawsuit claims that Lawrence wrote in the letter that her Facebook comment was “inflammatory" and “insulting.” In the letter, Lawrence also purportedly claimed Meeks violated the state’s code of conduct and the department’s human resources policies. However, the lawsuit claims that the department’s social media policy outlines online posts as protected by the First Amendment. 

Meeks has made several appeals over her termination, which has been upheld. The lawsuit is requesting that she be reinstated to her position and that she receive monetary and punitive damages to be determined by the court. 

Trauger writes in her opinion: “Without the benefit of a developed factual record, the court cannot adequately evaluate the department’s stated interests ‘in maintaining complete public confidence in the integrity of its investigations’ and whether Meeks’ single comment, made using her private Facebook account, 'destroyed any perception' among the public that she would perform her official duties professionally and with objectivity.

“Those are arguments raised by Lawrence that can only be resolved by making factual determinations. For that reason, the court declines to dismiss this action based on any purported state interest and whether that interest outweighs Meeks’ First Amendment rights.”

Meeks is represented by FIRE and local attorney Melody Fowler-Green with Yezbak Law Offices.

“Today’s ruling affirms that Americans who serve the public retain their First Amendment rights and get their day in court if they're punished for their speech,” says Greg Greubel, senior attorney for FIRE. “We look forward to continuing to fight for Monica’s right to hold an opinion and a job.”

“I had years of spotless service and great performance reviews, yet they fired me because a few people on the internet didn’t like what I had to say,” Meeks adds. “But I have a right to speak my mind, on my own time and on my own account.”

Meeks' termination is one of several local firings over online comments that followed the assassination of Kirk. A former assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University sued the school’s leaders last year over her termination. Another lawsuit was filed by a Williamson County high school teacher who was suspended following social media posts regarding the matter.

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.