BATON ROUGE — A Southern University Law Center (SULC) professor, Kelly Carmena, could face termination after comments she posted on social media regarding the recent shooting death of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk. She was suspended from her position on Friday.
18th Judicial District Attorney Tony Clayton, chair of the Southern University System Board of Supervisors, confirmed her suspension to UWK.
In social media comments, Carmena allegedly made statements in part saying, “Oh no I will 1000% wish death on people like him. He is the epitome of evil…”
“To wish death upon anyone who shares the views of Charlie Kirk…is unacceptable. We teach students with all types of opinions… from all walks of life. Publishing this rhetoric is not protected speech. It incites violence,” Clayton said.
Clayton further explained that after a suspension, an investigation is conducted, and that is currently planned to start on Monday. Termination is currently under consideration, and Carmena is allowed to petition the board.
“In this country, we respect folks’ different opinions; we don’t wish death upon them,” Clayton said.
As of publication time, SULC had not confirmed Carmena’s standing with the university.
However, I’Tyonnie V. Jackson, director of communications and external affairs at SULC, sent this statement: “The Southern University Law Center is aware of a recent social media post involving one of our employees that has raised concern. The views expressed in that post are the individual’s own and do not reflect the values or positions of the Law Center. We are reviewing this matter in accordance with the institution’s personnel policies and procedures. The Law Center is committed to fostering an environment of respect, inclusivity, and professionalism both online and offline.”
Carmena’s comments caught the eye of the state’s attorney general, as well.
In an official statement, Attorney General Liz Murrill called Carmena’s comments “abhorrent,” adding, “Whatever your opinion is of Charlie, his assassination marked a dark day for all Americans and should be resoundingly condemned.”
Murrill condemned political violence, saying that it has no place in a democratic society.
“This individual has a constitutional right to have opinions and social media amplifies them. But she does not have a right to teach at a public law school,” Murrill said of Carmena.
Carmena joined SULC’s faculty in 2014 as a clinical professor in the Criminal Law Clinic, according to her faculty bio. Previously, she worked as a felony and misdemeanor assistant public defender with the East Baton Rouge Parish Office of Public Defender.
She received her B.A. in 2004 from LSU before graduating Southern in 2009 with her J.D.
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