Identity of Speakers
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Kate Polak
Faculty/Staff
OtherEnglish Professor at Florida Atlantic University
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Karen Leader
Faculty/Staff
OtherArt History Professor at Florida Atlantic University
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Rebel Cole
Faculty/Staff
OtherFinance Professor at Florida Atlantic University
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Social media
Other
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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
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) placed three faculty members on paid administrative leave while investigating their social media activity related to the incident. The professors were Dr. Kate Polak from the English department, Dr. Karen Leader from the Art History department, and Dr. Rebel Cole from the Finance department. FAU cited personnel confidentiality for not providing detailed explanations for the suspensions. The action came amid a wave of controversy at public universities nationwide over faculty social media posts about Kirk’s assassination, with administrators balancing public pressure and constitutional free-speech considerations.
The social media activity under review included posts and replies on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Threads. The posts expressed personal opinions, commented on Kirk’s rhetoric, and engaged broader political and cultural discussions. While the posts did not explicitly condone violence, some members of the public found them offensive or inflammatory. FAU required the professors to remain off campus and refrain from conducting official university business, while advising them to limit public discussion and cooperate fully with the inquiry. The university maintained that the administrative leave was a precautionary measure, applied equally to tenured and non-tenured faculty, intended to ensure a neutral and orderly review.
Dr. Polak publicly expressed confusion over her leave and said she had requested clarification from university officials without receiving substantive answers. Dr. Leader asserted that her posts reflected personal opinion and did not reference the university. Dr. Cole’s posts, initially less detailed publicly, included responses critical of online celebrations of Kirk’s assassination, prompting his inclusion in the investigation alongside colleagues with differing political perspectives.
In November 2025, the case developed further. A report recommended reinstating two of the professors, Cole and Leader, with both reinstated by mid-November, 2025.
On November 18, Dr. Cole filed an 18-page federal lawsuit against FAU and six top officials, alleging retaliation and violations of his First Amendment rights.
The FAU suspensions are part of a broader national pattern of scrutiny over faculty social media activity related to Charlie Kirk,
