A former Clemson University professor is now suing the school, claiming his firing over a disgusting Facebook post about the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk violated his First Amendment rights.
Joshua Bregy, an assistant professor in environmental engineering, was one of several Clemson employees axed last month after their social media comments sparked outrage from conservatives who demanded accountability for professionals gloating over Kirk’s tragic murder.
The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in federal court, seeks Bregy’s reinstatement, back pay, and damages, arguing the university caved to “bullying legislators and an online mob.”
“External pressure — not internal disruption” caused Clemson to fire Bregy, according to the lawsuit obtained by the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
“But however challenging it must have been for Clemson to confront bullying legislators or the online mob and its 280-character pitchforks, the First Amendment does not credit Clemson’s impulse to capitulate as a ‘legitimate’ interest,” the lawsuit continues. “The Constitution requires a stronger spine than that.”
Ironic, given that the woke left has spent years getting conservatives fired and censored online for speech that they did not like.
Bregy’s post, shared shortly after the shooting, reposted someone else’s comment criticizing Kirk’s past statements on gun rights, where Kirk had argued that some “gun deaths” were a necessary cost for Second Amendment freedoms.
The disgraced former professor added his own commentary, writing, “I’ll never advocate for violence in any form, but it sounds to me like karma is sometimes swift and ironic. As Kirk said, ‘play certain games, win certain prizes.’”
He went on to question why conservatives weren’t equally outraged over the June 2025 assassination of Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, and expressed superficial sympathy for Kirk’s family while refusing to let him be portrayed as a “martyr,” calling him a “flawed human being whose rhetoric caused notable damage.”
The South Carolina Daily Gazette reports, “Bregy’s Facebook settings usually allowed only friends to see his posts, but because the original post was public, his sharing of it was publicly viewable as well, according to the lawsuit. After a few hours, Bregy made the post private, then deleted it entirely the next morning at the request of university officials, according to the lawsuit.”
“The First Amendment protects the rights of public employees to speak in their personal capacity on important public topics,” Allen Chaney, Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, said in a statement. “When it comes to free speech, Clemson isn’t allowed to cave to the whims of a political mob. Fortunately for us all, the Constitution is made of sterner stuff than that.”
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a leading voice in conservative activism, was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in a brazen act of political violence that shocked the entire world.
In the immediate aftermath, conservatives mobilized and got dozens of educators across the country fired or disciplined for posts that mocked or downplayed the assassination.
For those asking, here is my full letter to President Clements regarding the firing of Clemson staff who made vile and repulsive comments celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
This is not just about Clemson, it’s about every taxpayer-funded institution in South… pic.twitter.com/RiHWxnPLO9
— Alan Wilson (@AGAlanWilson) September 15, 2025
The South Carolina Daily Gazette report adds:
Clemson put out a statement Sept. 12 saying it disagreed with their statements but recognized faculty members’ First Amendment rights to free speech.
In a letter the next day, GOP leaders in both Statehouse chambers, including the lead budget writers in each chamber, called on the Clemson’s Board of Trustees to “take immediate and appropriate action.”
The legislative leaders did not specify what that should be — either in the letter or in an interview with the SC Daily Gazette — but the lawsuit alleges it was still evident.
“The choice of signatories and their corresponding legislative authority and control over Clemson’s budget made the letter’s message inescapably clear: fire Joshua Bregy and (second professor) Melvin Villaver, or we will cut Clemson’s funding,” the lawsuit reads.
An hour ahead of a Sept. 15 emergency board meeting, Clemson announced suspending Bregy and another professor from teaching duties and firing another employee.
In his termination letter, Bregy was informed he had engaged in “blatantly unprofessional conduct and conduct seriously prejudicial to the University.”
“You did not show due restraint or respect, and you made no effort when you reposted to state that your views did not represent the views of Clemson University,” the letter continued.
Clemson has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
