TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jan 2, 2026

A theater professor at Austin Peay State University (APSU) has been reinstated three months after he was fired over social media comments about Charlie Kirk, after the school admitted it did not follow proper policy, The Tennessean reports. A spokesperson confirmed on Dec. 31 that Darren Michael was fully reinstated as a tenured professor. Michael was fired on Sept. 12 after posts he made about Kirk were widely shared online. In October, the school reversed his termination, saying he was instead suspended while administration began the process of ending his tenure. APSU President Mike Licari said in an email that the university “did not follow the required tenure termination process in this matter.”