Professor Removed For Calling Charlie Kirk ‘Nazi’ Reinstated By Court

A professor who was fired for calling Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk a “Nazi” and saying Kirk’s family “deserved better” in a Facebook post has been reinstated by a district court.

Clinton-appointed Judge Karen E. Schreie issued a temporary restraining order Wednesday reinstating tenured University of South Dakota professor Phillip Michael Hook to his position, ruling that his statement constituted protected free speech and that the university could not punish him for it. Hook wrote the post on Sept. 10, the same day Kirk was assassinated at a campus speaking event at Utah Valley University.

“Okay. I don’t give a flying f*** about this Kirk person,” Hook posted online. “Apparently he was a hate spreading Nazi. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the idiotic right fringe to even know who he was. I’m sorry for his family that he was a hate spreading Nazi and got killed. I’m sure they deserved better. Maybe good people could now enter their lives.”

“But geez, where was all this concern when the politicians in Minnesota were shot? And the school shootings? And Capitol Police?” Hook continued. “I have no thoughts or prayers for this hate spreading Nazi. A shrug, maybe.”

Three hours after the post, Hook chose to remove it and posted an apology to his account.

“Apparently my frustration with the sudden onslaught of coverage concerning a guy shot today led to a post I mow regret posting,” Hook said. “I’m sure many folks fully understood my premise but the simple fact that some were offended, led me to remove the post. I extend this public apology to those who were offended. Om Shanti.”

By this point, however, it was too late. Republican South Dakota Speaker of the House Jon Hansen spoke out against Hook for his post, saying he was “disgusted” by the “hateful and vile comments” and stating he had reached out to the university president to call for Hook’s termination.