Identity of Speakers
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Rebel A. Cole
Faculty/Staff
OtherTenured finance professor at Florida Atlantic University
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Lawsuit
Social media
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Faculty sanctioned
Litigation
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
In litigation Federal District Court
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. That same day, Rebel A. Cole, a tenured finance professor at Florida Atlantic University, responded on social media, condemning users who celebrated the killing and calling their posts incitement. The following day, students in FAU’s chapter of Turning Point USA held a vigil for Kirk, attended by about 200 people, where FAU President Adam Hasner spoke. The events quickly drew attention to faculty comments on social media in the wake of the assassination.
On September 13, FAU announced that an unnamed employee had been placed on administrative leave. Art history professor Karen Leader, who had shared posts providing context on Kirk’s statements about race, gender, and other topics, later confirmed she was the faculty member. Reposts identifying her led to threats and harassment, prompting her to notify campus and local police. Rebel Cole and English professor Kate Polak were placed on leave shortly afterward. Polak’s leave followed screenshots of comments she made on Instagram Threads regarding Kirk. All posts in question came from personal accounts, and FAU hired an outside investigator to review the faculty activity.
Cole described his suspension as retaliation for challenging posts celebrating Kirk’s death and later launched a fundraising campaign to cover legal expenses. Despite returning from leave, Cole’s teaching schedule, research, and supervision of graduate students remained disrupted. Leader also returned but emphasized that she did not seek financial damages, instead focusing on addressing the defamation and stress she endured. Polak remained on leave, expressing concern that her investigation could continue until her contract expired later in the year.
On November 12, 2025, Cole filed a federal lawsuit against FAU and several university administrators, including the president and interim provost. The verified complaint alleged retaliation for his social media activity, sought declaratory and injunctive relief, monetary damages, and attorneys’ fees, and asserted that the university provided no evidence that his presence disrupted operations or posed a safety risk. The lawsuit is ongoing.
