Identity of Speakers
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Samantha Balemba Brownlee
Faculty/Staff
OtherAssociate Professor of Criminal Justice at Montana State University–Northern
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
State Campus Free Speech Act
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On September 12, 2025, Samantha Balemba, a professor of criminal justice at Montana State University Northern, was placed on administrative leave after Facebook posts she made about Charlie Kirk were shared publicly. Balemba had thought her posts would remain private among friends. On September 12, she wrote, “Holy s—-! Someone shot Charlie Kirk in the neck! Not condoning violence, but maybe people are sick of the garbage he spews, perhaps?” After Kirk died, she added, “Update: He died. Aw shucks. Thoughts and prayers.” The next day, September 13, she was placed on leave without an investigation, according to her account. Balemba and her husband, both Canadian nationals in the process of obtaining permanent residency, feared the suspension could put their visa status—and potential ability to remain in the U.S.—at risk.
The university condemned violence in a statement, emphasizing that her remarks were personal and not institutional views, and said it would follow personnel review procedures. Chancellor Greg Kegel confirmed the leave and said the university was assessing its response. By late September, Balemba remained on leave, leaving faculty uncertain about the scope of their freedom to comment on social media. The case raised questions about Montana’s academic freedom policies and whether off-campus faculty speech could be subject to discipline.
The controversy gained wider attention on September 14, when the conservative social media account Libs of TikTok highlighted Balemba’s posts, falsely suggesting she was not a U.S. citizen and calling for her visa to be revoked. Other Montana educators and state employees who had criticized Kirk were also spotlighted, with some receiving online harassment and prompting institutional responses. On September 17, 2025, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) sent a letter urging MSU Northern to respect First Amendment protections and clarify its review procedures, warning that the case risked chilling lawful faculty speech.
On November 12, 2025, approximately two months after her suspension, and following pressure from FIRE and public attention, the university allowed Balemba to return to campus. She has since resumed teaching, though she deleted her Facebook account and expressed concern about potential long-term repercussions. She noted that administrators had questioned her about low enrollment in some classes and wondered whether she would again receive awards or committee assignments. The university did not respond to requests for comment.
