Judge Reinstates Fired Professor Who Called Charlie Kirk a Nazi

A judge said the University of South Dakota acted on political pressure when it fired the professor over a Facebook post, ruling his speech was protected.

People take part in the Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk Memorial event at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sept. 21, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

A federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of a professor dismissed for writing on social media that he has “no thoughts and prayers” for assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, whom he called a “hate spreading Nazi.”

U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier issued the ruling on Sept. 24, granting Phillip Michael Hook’s request for a temporary restraining order and directing the University of South Dakota to reinstate Hook to his tenured position pending further proceedings.